A thorough analysis of Ryoji Kaji from Neon Genesis Evangelion, tracking the allusions, references, and visual clues provided in the show - many of which go unnoticed. Features extra analyses by circuitbird. Props where props are due.
Let’s get this melon rolling.
KLAATU = KAJI
I’m kicking this off with an outrageous claim: Episode 11 matters. Episode 11 is more commonly known as the the blackout episode - to the casual viewer, Kaji’s presence doesn’t merit any kind of intelligent discussion. All he does is weasel his way into an elevator, crack a couple of nauseating jokes, and bow out with a healthy serving of comedy relief, right?
Wrong! This episode is all about Kaji, and is in fact the most important Kaji episode in NGE. After Episode 11, you should be able to immediately arrive at four conclusions with 100% accuracy:
- Kaji was responsible for the electrical supply collapse in Tokyo-3,
- Kaji is a triple agent,
- Kaji will be shot, and Misato will carry the burden of his work forward post-mortem,
- And most importantly, the Kaji he appears to be, is not the Kaji he actually is. (That is, Kaji will maintain a false identity for 90% of his on-screen appearances.)
Before we’re treated to the quick shot of Kaji spidermonkey leaping his way out of a Dogma lift in Episode 13, or sleuthing with his government contact in Episode 15, we can already infer all four of these points. Why, and how?
Episode 11 is titled “The Day Tokyo-3 Stood Still (In The Still Darkness)” – that’s a reference to the 1951 sci-fi film The Day The Earth Stood Still. This movie is one of the firsts of many prototypical sci-fi films that would follow it, and it had such an influence on Anno that he incorporated much of its core elements into Neon Genesis Evangelion.
What’s Kaji have to do with all of this? Here’s a quick summary of the film:
Klaatu, an extraterrestrial humanoid, visits Earth to warn the government of an impending inter-planetary crisis. He claims the only way to prevent war is to cast away their differences, abandon their weapons of mass destruction, and pursue world peace.
Of course, no one takes Klaatu’s warning seriously, (rather, they react with indignation/fear), so Klaatu takes up the more unassuming guise of a “carpenter” and befriends a woman named Helen and her young son Barry. All the while, he gauges the suspicions of those around him, as they haven’t the clue he’s the reason for the recent martian threats.
Finding Earthly modes of diplomacy lacking, Klaatu sabotages all electrical power supplies on Earth for thirty minutes so that he may send “a message”. He seeks refuge in an elevator, but ends up getting trapped inside with Helen. Klaatu admits his culpability, telling Helen that if he were to be assassinated, she must tell his android bodyguard “klaatu barada nikto” to nip the ensuing destruction in the bud.Klaatu is eventually shot dead by government officials. Helen attempts to relay Klaatu’s message to the appropriate sources, but it proves too late.
The above image is undisguised visual referencing.
While the Kaji=Klaatu allusion is most obvious, there are additional parallels: Misato mirrors Helen, and Shinji is a nod to her son Barry (who is also 13-14 years old). To top it all off: the pill Kaji gives Misato in Episode 20 is Anno’s answer to the phrase “klaatu barada nikto”.
What we don’t see is monumental, insofar as predicting the fates of Misato, Kaji, and everyone else in the show. It’s a testament to the combined narrative skills of Anno, Enokido, and Watanabe in this regard: if you don’t pick up on the Klaatu reference, Kaji will pass - flawlessly so - for the Man He Pretends To Be. Unlike Klaatu, Kaji refuses to reveal his cards. He acts the Jerkass Clown the entire way through - complete with a shirtless joke, and the perfectly innocuous question befitting any freshly employed Inspector:
Kaji’s modus operandi? Insincerity. Fronting. It gives NERV incentive to avoid him (Maya), or underestimate him, or most likely, do a little bit of both. It’s more obscure as to whether the behavior is motivated by a fear of getting caught and/or bearing the responsibility of an accomplice, but regardless, for Kaji this mechanism has become so ingrained that switching from “sincere” to “insincere” is this easy:
These two scenes are hours apart, in that the very next morning of the beginning of Episode 22 is Episode 8. There’s no shortage of irony when Asuka accuses Misato of being contrived, by the way – the handler she does like has Misato utterly beat in that department. Easy, effortless teasing, shrouding a grim glimpse over the prospect of entering Misato’s life again, and visa versa.
Notice that Asuka innocently assumes Kaji may not know who Misato even is. Kaji had refused to give any indication that they were romantically involved. Only in Episode 15 - nearly a decade after the fact - does Kaji learn that Misato did not cheat on him with another man: in light of that realization, he is still somewhat hesitant to shrug off his front in Episode 17. That means for nearly 10 years, Misato had let Kaji believe Misato cheated on him with a better man. And Kaji had believed that was the reason for their breakup, not once doubting her.
Anno loves his spy-fi tropes, and Evangelion is rife with them. (See: exhibit A and exhibit B.) In Evangelion, you can often find a characters’ “real self” by inverting their initial appearance – what constitutes their “mask” or “persona”. Ritsuko, for example, is revealed to be led by emotion in contrast to Misato’s latent reason, Rei becomes the instrument of wisdom when she was previously limited in her experiences, it’s Asuka who extends grace during the final scene of EoE, not Shinji, etc.
Which follows that Kaji is unveiled as feminine/passive, in contrast to Misato’s masculinity/directness. Natch:
THE JAMES BOND “DE”-CONSTRUCTION
Anno channeled many Bond-tropes with Evangelion, but unlike Klaatu, this one’s a little more obvious: Kaji and James Bond are both double (triple) agents, they both are inclined to flirt with anything that casts a shadow, they smoke, drink, have sex, and by principle, work alone. "Having sex" and “working alone” is of real substance here, because to be a Bond Girl is to be forgettable: killed after sex, written off after the deed.
They both are paradigms of traditional hypermasculinity at work. Rather, James Bond is. Kaji is, too, but only upon the most surface level examination.
In 2015: The Last Year Of Ryohji Kaji, Kaji’s real self shines through. He resents his loneliness, and privately concedes to loving the one woman he is still hung up over after eight years – the one woman he is actually shown sleeping with. In what is the biggest decimation of the trope, Kaji entrusts all his work in her hands, with the understanding that Misato is much more capable of doing anything about it than he is. Misato takes up the cigarette (literally takes up the cigarette – Anno loves to merge the literal and symbolic/metaphorical, and Episode 20 is a great case in point), and Kaji takes his exit with a resigned smile. Yo, you’re late, et al.
So, he’s more like Bond Girl. “Sincere Kaji” is intimately and vehemently self-loathing, which explains why he does not resent the comparison to Misato’s father in Episode 15. In 2015, Kaji questions if he even wants Misato to remember him – he’s been waffling between convincing himself that it’s better off if she moves on without him. And if that’s her perspective on their state of affairs, then he can only stand back and let her figure it out for herself:
Kaji’s particular approach to death directly foils Gendo’s, who not only represents a more salient version of hyper-masculinity, but the struggle for immortality in contrast to Kaji’s passive suicidalism. This post unravels more to that end.
Kaji as “James Bond” (the illusion of cool and unrestrained promiscuity) is a persona built on Kaji exaggerating traditionally trope-y hypermasculine traits, while shrouding his traditionally “feminine” ones.
As to what clues us into the fact that Kaji’s sincere side is dominated by what is traditionally coded as feminine?
*Other subs translate this line as “Keep it a secret from everybody else”, or ”Don’t tell anybody.“
Kaji’s gardening work is all parts nurture. He tells Shinji that he’s happy – genuinely happy – in taking care of watermelons, and as we later learn, flowers. He’s even invested in their growth post-mortem, as evident in his plea to Misato via the answering machine. It’s another point worth mentioning that Misato smiles at the mention of Kaji’s flowers, which I take to mean that she is the only one (besides Shinji) who is aware of what’s underneath his “front”.
And speaking of Shinji – there’s a lot more to be gleaned by juxtaposing Misato and Shinji's interactions against Kaji and Shinji’s. (Specifically, Kaji-Shinji interactions in the original show.)
The Misato-Shinji synergy is marked by an assertiveness (one-sided) and strong, dynamic body language (also one sided). Misato sports a classic military seasoning. She’s his formal commanding officer. And if push comes to shove, she has no qualms about dragging Shinji through wet slab and concrete if it’s to get him up and doing something.
These traits are undeniably masculine. Misato is a warhawk. As Misato seemingly labors as a Mother-figure to compensate for what Shinji is lacking, she ends up acting more like a “Father”:
In all of Kaji’s interactions with Shinji (sans their first meeting on the ship), Kaji is in a "nurturing” – even motherly – element (gardening and babysitting). When push comes to shove, Kaji insists: no one is forcing Shinji to do anything. While no one can call Misato passive and get away with it, Kaji is a different story.
Note that passivity is oftentimes interchangeable with traditional understandings of femininity – as Kaji seemingly comes in as a Father-figure for where Shinji is lacking, he ends up acting more like a “Mother”.
(I also want to harken back to the shot of Kaji telling Shinji to keep his gardening hobby a secret. In Evangelion, the way objects/bodies are positioned are deliberate cinematic decisions, and often function as visual clues. In the aforementioned frame, Shinji appears right beneath Kaji’s watering can, creating the impression that Kaji is “watering” Shinji.)
Misato subverts traditional motherly tropes taken up by either Shinji or Kaji. Misato doesn’t care to clean her apartment (Shinji steps up to the plate on that front), and is perfectly content with eating snacks and instant cup ramen for as long as her body can stand it – in contrast to Kaji, who goes so far as to grow his own food.
Misato’s perception of motherhood (and fatherhood) merits its own separate analysis, as the conversation is wrought with complexity. But if we’re on the topic of food, the topic of drink naturally follows. Which is the perfect segue into…
COFFEE AND BEER
The subtext is pretty remarkable here. Misato’s drink of choice is beer, so much that it’s all that needs to be said, because you’re probably hearing the dying bird sound as you’re reading this sentence.
What’s not so obvious (at least, not initially) is that Kaji’s drink of choice is coffee. Not necessarily because he has a fondness for UCC, but because coffee functions as a visual icon for Kaji himself. (Refer to Asuka’s Hell Kitchen section in this post for more information, replicated below.) Note that the spilled coffee bears more than a passing resemblance to blood splatter - signaling Kaji’s death:
(Above is coffee cup during Instrumentality [rewatch the scene if you don’t believe me]. Below is the coffee cup from the Kaji’s death revelation scene.)
Misato isn’t just a drinker – she’s a drinker, in that she lets everyone know exactly how often she does it. She’s also a bit of an understater, because a “little untidy” isn’t the word I would use, and probably not the one Shinji would use either:
Let’s jump to Episode 17 for a moment. Kaji downs his first can of coffee and chucks it at the trashcan – creating a complete mess in the process – before tapping into his “James Bond” persona with the Maya-Kaji sequence.
Misato enters and, during a shot that many regard as inexplicably random, Kaji neatly organizes the coffee cans in the trash right before switching into his “sincere” side.
It’s a visual motif. The cluttered coffee cans signal Kaji’s insincere front; similarly, the cans are organized when he decides to turn it off. In the very same episode, Shinji says Misato likes “neat guys” when Toji refuses to help clean Rei’s room. Toji’s justification for being an asshole in that particular moment? It’s not the manly thing to do.
And of course, when Kaji dies and Misato takes up his work, she makes the switch from beer to coffee:
SEXUAL SUBVERSION
In true Gemini fashion, Kaji disguises himself by forging scenario-specific personalities depending on who he’s talking and what he needs to hide. And like the rest of the Eva cast, Kaji’s (and Misato’s) true selves directly challenge their respective “work” personas: Misato sheds her less-than-admirable habits to become a No-Nonsense Tactical Major, and Kaji does the exact opposite — shedding his more passive, nurturing temperaments to become a textbook image of Unhampered Masculinity and Promiscuity.
Now, sex. Episode 20 provides the most clues, for the most obvious reasons.
Despite being incredibly uncomfortable to watch, this scene is important. Belying his words, we know Kaji didn’t come meet Misato for sex, because he brings the pill ahead of time. If his line “I can’t tell you in a place like this” is any judge, he probably knew ahead of time that he would be observed by NERV or SEELE or both (which means the enigmatic “They” actually watched Misato and Kaji have sex at the motel; which should come as no shock considering what SEELE did to Ritsuko in Episode 23).
The sounds of pleasure are Misato’s… and afterwards?
This cut is a precursor (technically, call-back) to this cut:
This connection isn’t just visual:
KAJI WITH MISATO (EPISODE 20): Well, I’m honored.
KAJI WITH ASUKA (EPISODE 22): Well, I’m honored.
These two scenes are meant to be analyzed together. In both scenes, Kaji is being straddled – body placement is crucial, here. GC describes Shinji’s straddling of Asuka in End of Evangelion as “…gender roles swapping, morphing. Becoming more attuned to their actual selves.”
Most people chalk up Kaji’s post-coital-tristesse to his dismay at the prospect of dying. That’s flimsy: it says nothing of the audio and visual parallels to Kaji and Asuka’s scene, where Kaji’s libido amounts to zero. Kaji goes on to elaborate that he is honored “to be used by a lady.” In fact:
KAJI (EPISODE 20): Indulging our carnal desires is more realistic as humans. We can fool them a little.
Translated:
I pretend to be a sex crazed fiend because it’s realistic behavior for a man. I fool others into thinking I’m like this because I’m a workaholic (Dr. Katsuragi) and it helps me further my own work related agendas.
Kaji is talking about himself – rather, his persona. Moving on to End of Evangelion, where we’re treated to another Kaji/Misato sex scene. This time, it’s 2008, and they’re in college. Like Episode 20 and 22, the auditory and visual clues are telling.
It’s no coincidence we’re focusing in on an electric fan, here — just as coffee functions as a symbolic window to Kaji’s “sincere” side, so too do fans. Remember, he dies in front of a giant one. And again, if one were to really listen to this scene, it’s clear that Kaji’s tone is hardly what you would call eager, passionate, or enthusiastic. Against all expectations culled from his machismo-fueled persona, Kaji is marked by remarkably low functioning desire, with Misato heartily beckoning him to the call.
Eariler, I’ve mentioned 2015: The Last Year Of Ryohji Kaji, the photobook published in 1997 by one of Evangelion’s scriptwriters, one month before the release of End of Evangelion. It’s important that I dedicate a segment of this analysis laying the book bare, because it wouldn’t be complete otherwise.
2015: THE LAST YEAR OF RYOHJI KAJI
2015 is essentially Kaji’s secret diary. It’s mostly comprised of letters and poems, heavily erring on self-deprecation while Kaji’s prancing around NERV, licking his metaphorical swirly lollipop, and wearing his metaphorical propeller hat. He picks the brains of ambiguous "we’s” and nameless, faceless characters. There’s a voice recording monologue, a lot of bizarre, abstract photographs, and a snapshot of Rei’s apartment room – among other things.
Like this:
Here is the beginning of the end. I’m telling a lie even to myself. Dancing letters decorated with lies. If this letter were worth reading, the lies would be worth telling. It is so difficult like trying to get something fragile on a swinging boat. A liar can be a liar when he keeps his lie to his grave. So I decided to tell you a lie. I put this letter in the bottom of the baggage. Because no postman will come to pick it up.
Another display of the same pathological duality that sums up Kaji’s entire character. One one hand, the lies Kaji decides to keep to his grave revolve around convincing people he is much less intelligent, capable, and reflective than he actually is. On the other hand, he obviously is wracked with a kind of impostor-syndrome dilemma, in which he doesn’t believe his “sincere” side to be worth telling.
In the manga, Kaji’s quest for truth is really just a quest for redemption, spurred into motion by survivor’s guilt. It’s impossible to say how applicable Kaji’s backstory is for the anime, but curiously enough, Kaji is the only cast member not connected to a family member, and by extension, any pre-existing Gehrin personnel:
Misato → her father
Ritsuko → her mother
Gendo → his wife
The Children (pilots and potential pilots alike) → their mothers
Rei and Kaworu → their donors
Fuyutsuki is closely aligned with Gendo and Yui; not family members per se, but they are enduring, familial-like connections nevertheless.
Kaji is a unique case in that he is completely isolated from the complex web of Gehrin relations. The fact that he still manages to discover the truth (instead of being privy to the truth by virtue of position, a la Ritsuko) is exceptional, but it comes not without its costs:
Kaji’s loneliness is in part self-inflicted and forced on him, no thanks to Second Impact. In 2015, he writes:
Have I satisfied my soul?
Just a curiosity at the beginning
Not a sense of mission at all
But now I want to tell you the truth
I know this letter won’t be sent to you
because I will never post it
Despite of it, I have tried to inform you
Do I want you to remember my existence?
Leave off talking to myself
It is meaningless
I’m just trying to take responsibility
I have to leave here now
I’ll never write again
It’s worth noting that Volume 7 of the manga was published in 2001, four years after the publication of 2015. And in the manga, Kaji tries to “take responsibility” for inadvertently murdering his little brother by starving off what he perceives as undeserved happiness.
Only after Kaji’s certain he must “leave here now" does he admit his devotion. But even then, it’s a half measure:
You don’t invite others into your home when your house is in danger of collapsing, etc.
THE PROPERTIES OF THE LOVE INTEREST IN EVANGELION
I’ve discussed a lot about Kaji, and how he relates to both Misato and Shinji. I’m going to wrap things up by mentioning the fact that he also functions as a love interest, which brings several implications.
When I say “love interest”, I mean those characters that are the primary object of affection for Evangelion’s major protagonists and deuteragonists: in the original show, this means Kaworu (Shinji), Kaji (Misato), and Yui (Gendo).
All three of these characters are similar on the grounds that they share a basic, stripped down personality type. They’re simultaneously easygoing, warm, and mysterious. They all have natural inclinations to profundity and philosophizing, to varying degrees. They all have a number of hidden depths. (There are also specific Kaji-Kaworu parallels, which are explored way more thoroughly here and here.)
All three of these characters die. Specifically: their deaths exasperate the mental breakdowns of their “other half” - Shinji comes face-to-face with an aggravated form of his depression in the wake of Kaworu’s death, Misato becomes increasingly more solemn and reclusive after Kaji’s – and in the process, fails to keep Asuka from running away. Gendo is the most drastic case, as he is wiling to bring about Instrumentality to reunite his with wife once more.
I can’t think of any character in Rebuild who embodies these shared traits better than Mari. Recall how Mari more or less delivers Kaji’s Zeruel speech in 2.22? It’s no surprise she’s being pitted as Asuka’s Kaworu, and it’s no surprise she ends up on this list.
Bodes well for her in 3.0+1.0? It’s impossible to say. 3.33 has shown us that Anno is willing to let Rebuild deviate from what’s expected in a major way, and if Koji Takao’s offhand comment is any indication, Kaji is still alive for 3.0+1.0.
2020 will definitely tell.