>At what point did you decide that the climax would blend the story of episode 19 with elements of episode 23?
Tsurumaki: I had suggested that this would be a good idea, and it was [in place] from a very early stage. The original plan had been for "Break" to comprise episodes eight to nineteen. I thought this would be difficult. If the number of episodes covered would be large in any case, I thought we should instead increase the range to include episode 23, and free up the third part onwards. I thought it would be unpleasant to leave "homework."
>So you could admit new elements in the future?
Tsurumaki: Right. There was a feeling that we wanted the difficulties to be, as far as possible, confined to "Break," because we wanted a situation where we would be able to try various things in the third part. So, after Rei's death in episode 23, Kaworu comes to Shinji; we attempted a structure similar to the TV series. But, in the end, Rei didn't die........
>Instead, it seemed that Shinji and Rei "got together."
Tsurumaki: There is probably some other intention there, so I think you should check with Anno-san [about that]. However, because there was a feeling that Rei III had been poorly developed in the TV series, after Rei II died in "Break," we wanted to develop in detail the drama of Rei III in "Q."

>So it's something you were not able to fully realize in the TV series. "Because I am the third" is an amazingly impactful, famous line of dialogue, but, in truth, I felt that [Rei III] didn't really mean much after that.....
Tsurumaki: I thought going deeply into that would be interesting, even in a "Science Fiction"-like way. As Rei realizes the fact, and the significance of the fact, that there has been more than one Rei before her, how, as a clone, will she achieve her independence as an individual? I wanted to develop a story like that. However, it was decided that Rei wouldn't die, and, in the climax of "Break," we strongly and actively push the idea of "Rei and Shinji being brought together," a development taken over from "Prelude."
>That was an extraordinarily surprising development.
Tsurumaki: Because it's even linked with the motivation for having Asuka pilot Unit-03, it ended up being a stronger way of developing things than I thought.
>There's one thing that mystified me. Despite the fact that the original scenario for the climax was different, in "Prelude" Gendou mentions something like a "love love strategy" intended to bring Rei and Shinji closer together. Why does that appear to be consistent [with "Break"]?
Tsurumaki: Anno-san probably hasn't thought about that very deeply.

>Eh? That wasn't foreshadowing?
Tsurumaki: We on the staff had a conversation about that dialogue from "Prelude," wondering if it was okay to have [Gendou] say that. Not to mention that I thought Rei II was going to die in "Break."
>Then why, despite that, was there a consistency?
Tsurumaki: This is evidence that the story was developed, not with an "inductive" technique, but with a "deductive" one. "He already said it there, so we have no choice." It's something like a methodology where [the story] is adjusted, even forcibly, to be consistent with what has already been done.
>This is quite a shock (laughing)! Surely, immediately following "Prelude," there are people who grin and say of the "love love strategy," "This is a big change!" Surely it leaves a strong impression on everyone. As a result, they will surely think during "Break," "Ah, as I thought, those two were brought together!"
Tsurumaki: The impression that Anno-san mainly wanted to convey was that Gendou and Fuyutsuki were devising a secret plot. Because Shinji happens to go to Rei's room just after that, that was what they discussed. When "secret plot" and "Shinji and Rei" were combined, it probably appeared something like "a strategy to bring together Shinji and Rei."

>Rather than being disappointed, I'm impressed. All the more, I have a pleasant feeling that things have become "Eva-esque." The fact that this consistency is inherent [makes it] extremely valuable; I am delighted [to think] that this may be the much-discussed "live feeling." In any case, there will surely be many viewers who have the impression that, this time, Gendou's Human Instrumentality Project [somehow depends on] this "love love strategy." Fuyutsuki also says something like, "As we thought, owing to those two Unit-01 has awakened."
Tsurumaki: And Gendou replies something like "A little while longer, and our project is complete." I had doubts storyboarding that conversation, and sent Anno-san a series of questions about it. "So Gendou knew this would happen to Unit-01? Or was Gendou also surprised and troubled? Or was Gendou surprised, but pleased with the outcome?" I didn't understand the specific meaning of the statement, so I struggled to interpret it. Anno-san replied that, "For now, we'll say he aimed at this and things went the way he expected." I wondered if that was enough. For myself, I am still skeptical that even Gendou isn't really panicking inside, but...
>So [everything] will probably be overturned again next time?
Tsurumaki: That is perfectly likely (laughs).

>One more thing: Kaworu's existence in light of the fact that we are given this strong impression that, "this time, the human instrumentality project was this 'love love strategy' with Shinji and Rei." There's no doubt that female fans were extremely pleased by Kaworu's line after the ending: "Ikari Shinji-kun, this time, I will make you happy."
Tsurumaki: Kaworu's line stayed the same from the very first storyboard. It was something he said while wearing his usual relaxed smile. Of course, at the last minute, just, I think, before we started postsynchronization, we began talking about whether or not it would be better if Kaworu looked scary during that scene.
>As a result, it looks like he's come to take his bride by force!
Tsurumaki: Right, right (laughing). [We thought it would be] more interesting if Kaworu looked like [he was thinking]: "You've been with a woman while I've been away? How dare you...!" It's not Kaworu's usual relaxed expression; he's somehow become irritated, right?