Rei Ayanami Expy/Analysis


 * The Anime Man explains on a video the Ayanami Rei Expy trope and lists reasons for its popularity in anime.

Why are there so many characters that are based on this Expy? Why exactly is the Ayanami Rei Expy so popular? Well, her mystery is a very big factor.

With a mysterious character, usually, a lot of its story or development is hidden away. This fact naturally grabs the viewer's attention on a particular character, or any character, if done right. Mystery draws attention because it begs for solutions. In this instance, the viewer wonders about her origin, her reasons behind her personality, her behavior towards the main character or the side characters, etc. In short, the whole mystery behind her character is presented and the work promises to reveal it all by bits and pieces. The uncertainty of the mystery and the tempting promise are very effective for pulling the audience into the overall ambiance the story demands, using the character as a clutch, but an important one, for driving it in a major way. Story is very important in a work, and the Expy serves to comply to it. That effect is amplified when the Expy is female and a love interest, assuming the target audience is primarily male. However, the use of a minor character that appears just for a convenient plot point or several is not desirable for an mysterious mood, as it associates predictability with an image.

To an author, the application of an Ayanami Rei Expy is very useful because it leaves a lot of room to insert different twists and turns to them and the story. Like flipping a switch inside them, the creator can shift their intentions and ambitions, and therefore change or progress the story. For example, an Expy might have no interest whatsoever for the main character, but as the story progresses and characterization is created, she might have fallen head over heels for him. That radical modification of her character is possible because she is assumed to be a blank slate, with no prior thought put onto them, waiting for it to be expanded later.

Another reason for the popularity of the archetype is because of its sexiness. However, it achieves this effect by showing sex appeal without the outright mention or allusion to sexual attraction. Case in point: at one point in Neon Genesis Evangelion, a naked Rei Ayanami gets out of the bathroom in her apartment, next to Shinji, who is visibly flustered. It's not outright nudity (she was covered in a towel) and not Fan Service for the sake of Fan Service, as shown by the absence of reaction from Ayanami, but it's very attractive. It shows a kind of innocence from the character, as if the creators were say: "Don't worry, this isn't sexual in any way whatsoever... (wink)"

(Adapted from The Ayanami Rei Expy: Why Is It Popular In Anime? by The Anime Man)