>>280819017
I didn't really get the vibe that Shinji had those kinds of feelings for her, honestly
He seemed to care about her deeply, but most of the time he seemed to be intrigued by her
Early on it was due to her relationship with his father, and the pangs of jealousy this caused, but over time he seemed more interested in her thought process and life philosophy
He of course was able to acknowledge her as a member of the opposite sex, particularly during their incident at her apartment, but at any other time his gaze completely lacked the discomfort arousal caused in Shinji, usually spurred on by other girls, like Asuka or Misato
Maybe it was pity, or sympathy over their shared lack of purpose and direction outside of eva, but the bond they shared was more akin to that of a dear friend or even a sibling, which would be pretty fitting all things considered

>>279805979