Break Up

The stress of trying to be both a normal high school girl and deadly war weapon puts a tremendous strain on Chise and her relationship with Shuji. Although she feels vulnerable, Chise realizes she commands terrible powers. When an earthquake strikes, she tells Shuji that if her body perceives the seism as an attack, everyone around them will be killed. Shuji has his own problems, trying to understand Chise, his own feelings, and his fling with Miss Fuyumi. He learns from Chise's suffering that war is not about heroism, but about killing--a lesson he tries to impart to a friend who wants to drop out of school and enlist in the military. Anno called the theme song of Evangelion "The Thesis of a Cruel Angel"; Saikano depicts the regrets of a gentle Angel of Death. (Unrated, suitable for ages 16 and older: violence, implied sexual situations, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon