I would not have been happy had the ending to this series been the final two episodes as they were a non ending in my book as there were so many questions unanswered and so many things left unresolved. That being said, I do believe that those two episodes did happen and that there are not two endings as many other believe and the creator said it is open for interpretation so I elect to think of those two episodes occurring, but this time we are being given the broader picture. Within the human instrumentality is a battle with one's own mind to find peace and acceptance and without it is a horrific visage and seemingly apocalyptic event.
The story sees Shinji deeply troubled as Rei is not who or what he thought she was, he killed the final angel whom he forged a bond with and Misato has shown a side to herself that scares Shinji. Though not specifically stated, I do believe that she is the one that killed Ryoji and she herself is battling demons. He turns to Asuka, but this leads to further depression as his attraction to her finally becomes clear and his revulsion for himself becomes complete. His depression that follows is so bad it renders him almost catatonic. Bad timing as Seele is launching an all out attack on NERV headquarters, the soldiers doing what the Angels could not, penetrating the base and killing everyone in sight. Asuka, still in a state of mental breakdown, is put in her EVA for her protection and they want to do this for Shinji too so Misato has to find him and get him to his Eva. Asuka learns something and snaps out of her breakdown and becomes a killing machine, but Shinji has to be led by Misato who gets shot and left in the same state you glimpse briefly in the narrower view of what is going on in the final two episodes of the show. Seele seeing the military has no chance against Asuka and her Eva deploy their own Eva's and soon Asuka is brutally taken down leaving Shinji to save the day! Well, he gets taken nearly right away while his father and Rei in act the human instrumentality which is different from the one Seele wants. Soon Rei fuses with Lilith and Adam and becomes huge which totally breaks Shinji's mind and soon the people become one as they see their loved ones before turning into the same liquid the pilots are immersed in when piloting their Eva's. Thanks to Shinji's father and Rei, this state is not permanent and he chooses to leave this state and apparently so does Asuka. How many will follow if any is undetermined, but that so many interpret this as a sad or depressing ending is baffling as this is Shinji learning to deal with his depression.
Having dealt with a crushing depression such as this, I understand Shinji as he literally wishes to wipe out everyone. I, too, felt this way at one point as things looked bad for me and with severe depression so too comes rage and irrational anger. It is clear that he has feelings for Asuka, but being Shinji he is unable to cope with how he feels as he is an adolescent boy. He does not understand that she feels something for him too and tries to show him this, most noticeably when she kisses him, but he is to scared to react. She feels rejected and it shows during the last few episodes of the show. Shinji too, feels rejected, but this rejection is more a product of his mind as he is rejected by Asuka in his mind so he strangles her in his mind and when he sees her on the beach fearing more hurt he strangles her again, most likely on instinct; however, she caresses him leading him to breakdown realizing that she has accepted him though she still is a bit taken aback by his actions earlier says what one would expect her to say.
So, the series is at an end and we really have no idea what will happen. I do believe Shiji and Asuka will learn to love each other, but as I said, it is open to interpretation. I do not know how many others will wish to leave the strange melding, but I highly doubt the two pilots will be the only two to reform as so many people do not wish to be one with everyone and prefer to live on the outside with only a select few to hold onto which is what Shinji and Asuka wanted from my perspective. So a totally graphic and totally insane ending, but one that is not hopeless, but rather hope as one begins to learn to cope with their depression.
The story sees Shinji deeply troubled as Rei is not who or what he thought she was, he killed the final angel whom he forged a bond with and Misato has shown a side to herself that scares Shinji. Though not specifically stated, I do believe that she is the one that killed Ryoji and she herself is battling demons. He turns to Asuka, but this leads to further depression as his attraction to her finally becomes clear and his revulsion for himself becomes complete. His depression that follows is so bad it renders him almost catatonic. Bad timing as Seele is launching an all out attack on NERV headquarters, the soldiers doing what the Angels could not, penetrating the base and killing everyone in sight. Asuka, still in a state of mental breakdown, is put in her EVA for her protection and they want to do this for Shinji too so Misato has to find him and get him to his Eva. Asuka learns something and snaps out of her breakdown and becomes a killing machine, but Shinji has to be led by Misato who gets shot and left in the same state you glimpse briefly in the narrower view of what is going on in the final two episodes of the show. Seele seeing the military has no chance against Asuka and her Eva deploy their own Eva's and soon Asuka is brutally taken down leaving Shinji to save the day! Well, he gets taken nearly right away while his father and Rei in act the human instrumentality which is different from the one Seele wants. Soon Rei fuses with Lilith and Adam and becomes huge which totally breaks Shinji's mind and soon the people become one as they see their loved ones before turning into the same liquid the pilots are immersed in when piloting their Eva's. Thanks to Shinji's father and Rei, this state is not permanent and he chooses to leave this state and apparently so does Asuka. How many will follow if any is undetermined, but that so many interpret this as a sad or depressing ending is baffling as this is Shinji learning to deal with his depression.
Having dealt with a crushing depression such as this, I understand Shinji as he literally wishes to wipe out everyone. I, too, felt this way at one point as things looked bad for me and with severe depression so too comes rage and irrational anger. It is clear that he has feelings for Asuka, but being Shinji he is unable to cope with how he feels as he is an adolescent boy. He does not understand that she feels something for him too and tries to show him this, most noticeably when she kisses him, but he is to scared to react. She feels rejected and it shows during the last few episodes of the show. Shinji too, feels rejected, but this rejection is more a product of his mind as he is rejected by Asuka in his mind so he strangles her in his mind and when he sees her on the beach fearing more hurt he strangles her again, most likely on instinct; however, she caresses him leading him to breakdown realizing that she has accepted him though she still is a bit taken aback by his actions earlier says what one would expect her to say.
So, the series is at an end and we really have no idea what will happen. I do believe Shiji and Asuka will learn to love each other, but as I said, it is open to interpretation. I do not know how many others will wish to leave the strange melding, but I highly doubt the two pilots will be the only two to reform as so many people do not wish to be one with everyone and prefer to live on the outside with only a select few to hold onto which is what Shinji and Asuka wanted from my perspective. So a totally graphic and totally insane ending, but one that is not hopeless, but rather hope as one begins to learn to cope with their depression.