Evangelion: Who Was Mari Makinami Really?

gamerant.com:

Back before the Evangelion Rebuild series, the most complicated character in Neon Genesis Evangelion (besides basically everyone) was Kaworu Nagisa. However, the rebuilds brought with them a new character that would be loved and hated in all the right ways that only the Evangelion series could conjure, and audiences still aren't sure what her deal is.

Mari Makinami Illustrious first appeared in the opening scene of Evangelion 2.22 You Can (NOT) Advance, where she piloted the Eva Unit 5 before its destruction. From then on, she appeared throughout the second film before becoming a mainstay in the third film onward but remained such a mystery as to be an annoyance to some. There is a lot to be said about Mari, but far more to be theorized, and so much of it conflicts with each other, from her significance in the plot to her thematic importance. Her existence could even be emblematic of the chaotic production of these films, but a lot of what is thought about this character is both oversimplified and overcomplicated.

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Mari was constructed entirely out of a request of a producer to make a new female character in a cast known for creating iconic anime women. Reading through the development of this character, it almost seems as if her existence was a hindrance on the story, with accounts of script revisions and an uncertainty of who she actually was.

Before her name was even revealed, the fandom had already taken to calling her «Glasses Girl» and were excited to learn more about her. Little did they know that Mari's construction was so chaotic that not even the directors and writers truly knew. Anno's assistant director and the man behind FLCL and Diebuster, Kazuya Tsurumaki, took it upon