| "Ambivalence" | |
|---|---|
| Neon Genesis Evangelion episode | |
&sq=Albert Einstein&lang=en&file=File:Evangelion_Ambivalence.png) Eva-03 possessed by Angel Bardiel with the Sun behind it. Writer Virginie Nebbia noted how "Ambivalence" uses directional techniques used by Ultraman director Akio Jissoji, particularly the use of scenes illuminated by the read of the sunset. | |
| Episode no. | Episode 18 |
| Directed by | Tensai Okamura |
| Written by | Hideaki Anno, Shinji Higuchi |
| Original air date | January 31, 1996 |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
"Ambivalence"[a] is the eighteenth episode of the Japanese anime television series Neon Genesis Evangelion, which was created by Gainax. Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi wrote the episode, which the animator Tensai Okamura directed. The series' protagonist is Shinji Ikari, a teenage boy whose father Gendo recruited him to the special military organization Nerv to pilot a gigantic, bio-mechanical mecha named Evangelion into combat with beings called Angels. In this episode, a new pilot named Toji Suzuhara enters Eva-03 which, during the activation experiment goes out of control after being possessed by the Angel Bardiel. Shinji, who is aboard Eva-01, refuses to fight against 03, bringing him into conflict with his father.
"Ambivalence" was produced by Production I.G., among others; Shinji Higuchi conceived the episode as a diptych with the previous episode "Fourth Child", and was inspired by the Ultraman franchise. Critics have compared the writing on Ambivalence to Anno's personal experiences and the direction to the works of Sergei Eisenstein, Jean-Luc Godard, and especially Akio Jissoji. The conflict between Gendo and Shinji has been compared to the dilemma of the Carneades table. The episode contains cultural references to earlier anime, including Dear Brother, and its title is a reference to the clinical psychologist Eugen Bleuler's concept of the same name.
"Ambivalence" was first broadcast on January 31, 1996, and drew a 9.6 percent audience share on Japanese television. During its first airing, the episode was criticized for the violence of the confrontation against Bardiel. Critics praised the script, direction, and battle scenes, considering it one of the best episodes in the series.
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