Ritsuko Akagi

Ritsuko Akagi
Neon Genesis Evangelion character
First appearanceAngel Attack Volume #1
First gameShinji Ikari Raising Project
Last appearanceTake Care of Yourself Volume #13
Created by
Designed byYoshiyuki Sadamoto
Voiced by
In-universe information
OccupationHead Scientist at Nerv
AffiliationNerv
FamilyNaoko Akagi (mother)
Significant otherGendo Ikari (lover)
NationalityJapanese

Ritsuko Akagi (赤木リツコ, Akagi Ritsuko) is a fictional character from the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise, created by Gainax. She is the head of the first section of the technology department at Nerv headquarters,[1] and one of the main developers of Evangelion units.[2] In 2005 during college, Ritsuko met Misato Katsuragi, who became her best friend,[3][4] and befriended her boyfriend Kaji, whom Ritsuko considered annoying.[5][6] In 2008, after completing her studies at Tokyo-2, Ritsuko joined Gehirn Research Center as the head of Project E.[7] Following her transfer to the special agency Nerv, Ritsuko became responsible for the management of the Magi supercomputer.[8] At Nerv, Ritsuko comes into close contact with her mother's lover Gendo Ikari, learning secret information that is withheld from almost all other members of the organization.[9][10]

She was voiced by Yuriko Yamaguchi in the original series, Sue Ulu for the ADV Films dub, Colleen Clinkenbeard for the Funimation Rebuild dub, Erica Lindbeck for the Netflix dub and Mary Faber for the Amazon Prime Video Rebuild dub.[11]

Characterization

Ritsuko is rational, and has a strong sense of discipline and detached judgment.[12] She finds it difficult to reconcile these sides of her character, which are often a source of violent, emotional contrasts.[13][14] Ristuko shows great determination and indifference, and, hesitates to talk about herself, even with longtime friends. This ultimately fractures her friendship with Misato by the end of the series. Despite her rational and reserved exterior,[15] Ritsuko is sensitive, expressive, and passionate. At the beginning of her university career, Ritsuko dyes her hair blonde to differentiate herself from her mother Naoko, whom she hates.[16][17] She later falls in love with Gendo Ikari, with whom she enters into a secret romantic relationship and offers him her scientific skills and body.[18][19][20] Ritsuko is jealous of Rei, the center of Gendo's attention. This Jealousy proves valid when Gendo betrays Ritsuko by turning her over to SEELE rather than turn Rei over to their custody. After being stripped and sexually degraded before the SEELE members she is informed of Gendos' betrayal and released. She carries out reckless acts of revenge against him, destroying the Rei clones, and revealing the secrets of both Rei and the Evas to Misato and Shinji. Ritsuko is then detained by NERV and interrogated by Gendo where she declares her misery in their relationship, her hatred of Rei and accuses Gendo of forcing himself upon her. Gendo declares his disappointment with her before leaving her sobbing and pleading for her mother. [21] Ritsuko is seen once more before the split in the series ending continuities in which she warns Misato that Kaworu is probably the final angel. For whatever reason it seems that Misato disregards this warning completely and the final Angel takes her by surprise. In The End of Evangelion, Ritsuko is no longer able to manage her feelings of love and hate. She is released and forced to deploy the 666 firewall for the MAGI system to prevent their being compromised from numerous external MAGI systems' hacking attacks made by SEELE. She immediately escapes capture during the assault on NERV headquarters and heads to the Lilith containment in terminal dogma, where she knows Gendo and Rei will later appear to trigger the third impact. Once they arrive Ritsuko attempts to destroy headquarters, uttering the phrase "Mom, do you want to die with me?". However, the Casper computer, in which Naoko's womanly personality is imprinted cannot bear to kill her lover Gendo and thus refuses the command to self-destruct, and Gendo in turn utters an unknown statement to Ritsuko as a final act of manipulation. Ritsuko, completely defeated, sees him for the liar he is before Gendo shoots her dead.[22] Newtype magazine compared Ritsuko to previous Anno characters, such as Kazumi Amano from Gunbuster and Electra from Nadia.[23]

References

  1. ^ "Evangelion Chronicle" (Magazine) (in Japanese). Vol. 45. Japan: Sony Magazines. p. 21.
  2. ^ "Evangelion Chronicle" (Magazine) (in Japanese). Vol. 5. Japan: Sony Magazines. p. 6.
  3. ^ 新世紀エヴァンゲリオンフィルムブック [The Neon Genesis Evangelion Film Book] (in Japanese). Vol. 5. Japan: Kadokawa Shoten. p. 40.
  4. ^ "Ritsuko Akagi (Character)". Comic Vine. Archived from the original on 2023-01-27. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  5. ^ "NERV技術開発部技術局第一課・赤木リツコ". Seesaawiki. Archived from the original on 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  6. ^ The essential Evangelion chronicle. Side A. Gainax, Khara ([Éd. française] ed.). Grenoble: Glénat. 2009. pp. 26–27. ISBN 978-2-7234-7120-6. OCLC 762729854.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  7. ^ The essential Evangelion chronicle. Side A. Gainax, Khara ([Éd. française] ed.). Grenoble: Glénat. 2009. p. 40. ISBN 978-2-7234-7120-6. OCLC 762729854.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  8. ^ The essential Evangelion chronicle. Side A. Gainax, Khara ([Éd. française] ed.). Grenoble: Glénat. 2009. pp. 26–27. ISBN 978-2-7234-7120-6. OCLC 762729854.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  9. ^ 新世紀エヴァンゲリオンフィルムブック [Neon Genesis Evangelion Film Book] (Film Book) (in Japanese). Japan: Kadokawa Shoten. p. 76.
  10. ^ 新世紀エヴァンゲリオンフィルムブック [Neon Genesis Evangelion Film Book] (Film Book) (in Japanese). Vol. 5. Japan: Kadokawa Shoten. p. 41.
  11. ^ "Neon Genesis Evangelion Anime Voice Actors / Seiyuu - AVAC.moe". avac.moe. Archived from the original on 2023-01-27. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  12. ^ Kurland, Daniel (2020-11-27). "Neon Genesis Evangelion: Everything You Didn't Know About Ritsuko Akagi". CBR. Archived from the original on 2023-01-27. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  13. ^ 新世紀エヴァンゲリオンフィルムブック [Neon Genesis Evangelion Film Book] (Film Book) (in Japanese). Vol. 7. Kadokawa Shoten. p. 69.
  14. ^ "『エヴァンゲリオン』赤木リツコの誕生日 放送当時に見た、キャラ設定の衝撃". マグミクス (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  15. ^ "Ritsuko Akagi". www.robot.wikibis.com. Archived from the original on 2023-01-27. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  16. ^ 新世紀エヴァンゲリオンフィルムブック [Neon Genesis Evangelion Film Book] (Film Book) (in Japanese). Vol. 9. Japan: Kadokawa Shoten. p. 24.
  17. ^ "雑記". 2007-09-27. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  18. ^ "Akagi Ritsuko - My Anime Shelf". myanimeshelf.com. Archived from the original on 2023-01-27. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  19. ^ "Ritsuko Akagi - Everything2.com". everything2.com. Archived from the original on 2023-01-27. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  20. ^ "【エヴァ】赤木リツコの最期や人間関係に迫る！声優・名言も紹介 | ciatr[シアター]". ciatr.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  21. ^ 山口由里子. The End of Evangelion Program Book [Yuriko Yamaguchi] (in Japanese). Gainax. 1997.
  22. ^ The essential Evangelion chronicle. Side B (in French). Gainax, Khara ([Éd. française] ed.). Grenoble: Glénat. 2010. pp. 26–27. ISBN 978-2-7234-7121-3. OCLC 762832812.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  23. ^ ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版:Q 記録集 [Rebuild of Evangelion: Q Records] (in Japanese). November 17, 2012. p. 72.
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