>>2854202While I agree with what you said about Touji, I cannot possibly agree with Shinji and Asuka needing each other.
I think Asuka was clear enough about this: Shinji "doesn't need her", he just needs someone who can understand and love him sincerely. On the other hand, Asuka needs a man who can provide her with the protection, validation and support she had been looking for. Someone like Kaji, but attainable to her (and obviously not double her age). Shinji is just not what she needs, and it is very clear near the end of NGE.
On a side note, I also think Shinji doesn't deserve Asuka's affection, after what he did to her during the descent ar of the series, and especially during EoE and their toxic interactions (especially that of the hospital, but also the strangulations). Those just make Shinji lose any right to claim Asuka as a romantic partner, and if you want to believe otherwise, it means you just think using Shinji's POV, while you just don't care about Asuka's feeling at all. It would be humilliating to her.
To sum up, they need stable people to be with. And as far as I see it, they are so utterly broken children that thinking they can heal someone else is pretty naïve. They must first heal themselves before even trying to heal anyone else. They'll be happy in the future, that's for sure. But together? I doubt it.
