>>4063594Shipping can be an innocuous activity, sure. So can adoration of Rei. But both can become detrimental. I want Rei to be happy too, but I'm of the opinion that the only way Rei would ever be happy is not if she were with Shinji, but if Instrumentality were fulfilled, if everyone's faults were finally reconciled through each other, if she could finally be at peace - an option Shinji rejected. Further, I consider Rei II's death in "Tears" one of the saddest, rather than most beautiful, parts of the series - as is the revelation following that she is essentially forced to reincarnate, in some way, at the whims of others, and is thus deprived of her ability to fulfill her desire to die, as stated during EoTV. Even during EoE, even after Shinji kills her in the form of Lilith, she remains afterwards, watching over him for one reason or another, possibly forever. Omniscient, omnipresent, but somehow not omnipotent. That is not happiness.
So follows my belief that the absolute despair of much of this series - in particular for fans of Rei - leads many to embrace relationships with the characters that are neither canonical nor helpful, to such an extent that they lose themselves. The idea of Rei and Shinji being in a loving relationship is sweet and easy to embrace, but is simply not there in the actual Evangelion. And to be honest, unless you - you generically, I'm not saying you do - self-insert as Shinji and add in qualities that you think would make the relationship compatible, I don't know how you can consider it an equal partnership. Rei is the only redeemable and redeeming character in this series - is the only one who abuses none, is absolutely selfless despite being so unique, is so full of empathy for mankind even as the catalyst for its death or rebirth.
So I'm suspicious of shippers. It requires oversimplification. Nice to think about, but not reflective of reality.
