Neon Genesis Evangelion/Heartwarming

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• Neon Genesis Evangelion, for all its bleakness has one in the sixth episode, when after Shinji tells her to just smile as thanks, Rei finally does.
• The end of episode 26 counts too. Probably.
  • Probably? Definitely! "It's OK for me to be here!"
  • The way that Shinji seemed, in his psyche, to be undoing all the damage that was done throughout the series, and the way that everyone openly showed how much they cared about him were especially heartwarming; if only End of Evangelion had ended similarly, minus the confusion...
    • Both endings are canon, so it's possible that Shinji did find peace with himself. The last scene shows that he's still a little troubled, though.
  • Don't forget the entire cast congratulating Shinji for his self-realization! Hell, this troper rewatches that episode to cheer up whenever his depression gets particularly bad. It works, somehow.
    • Especially when his mother and father simultaneously congratulate him.
  • Seconded. Also a bit of a Tear Jerker for this troper, but of the "happy tears" kind.
    • To put things straight, the scene before the congragulations shows Shinji rejecting his own personal isolated fantasy world and the world of Instrumentality, which cracks to pieces as he realizes that he can learn to like himself and live in the real world without depending on piloting Eva for other people's approval. He even SAYS as much! That's why the cast (well, the cast that exists in his mind anyway) is congratulating him afterward. It's the most heartwarming moment in the show.
    • The entire ending exchange:

Kaji: A person's truth is so simple, that most ignore it to concentrate on what they think are deeper truths. Gendo: You, for example, are simply unused to what it is to be liked by others. Misato: You've never learned how to deal with fearing what others feel about you and so you avoid it. Shinji: But, don't the others hate me? Asuka: What are you, stupid? Haven't you realized it's all in your imagination, you megadork! Shinji: But, I hate myself. Rei: One who truly hates himself cannot love, he cannot place his trust in another. Shinji: I'm a coward. I'm cowardly, sneaky and weak. Misato: No, only if you think you are, but if you know yourself, you can take care of yourself. Shinji: [introspectively] I hate myself. But, maybe, maybe I could love myself. Maybe, my life can have a greater value. That's right!. I am no more or less than myself. I am me! I want to be myself! I want to continue existing in this world! My life is worth living here! [Shinji's room cracks open and he finds himself on a small blue globe with the cast of the series] Everyone: [applauding] Congratulations! Shinji: Thank you all!

• Towards the close of episode 10, Magmadiver, for a brief, fleeting moment, we get to see Shinji, for once in his life, able to relax and just enjoy a soak in a hot-spring. For someone who is all too frequently tormented for the viewers' entertainment, seeing him genuinely happy for once just floods this troper with warm fuzzies.
• For this troper, it was after Asuka's infamous Mind Rape. Asuka is staying at Hikari's house and is not recovering very well, so Hikari tells her that she shouldn't feel bad about herself, and that she and what she has as an EVA pilot done is good and important. This troper had tears in his eyes after that (as did Asuka for that matter.)
• Episode 4, anyone? Tohji and Kensuke coming to see Shinji off, followed by Shinji's apology to them, pulled at this troper's heartstrings hard enough... but then Misato shows up, thinking she's too late, then finally spots him. Followed by a more genuine welcoming home than the one two episodes ago.
• The ending of Episode 11. Though they clashed throughout the episode, and will clash even worse in the future, for one night, on a hill under the stars, Shinji, Asuka, and Rei were actually at peace with one another.
  • Similarly, the meal they have with Misato at the end of Episode 12. Especially notable because Asuka specifically brought them to eat noodles because she knew Misato couldn't afford a steak dinner, and because Rei said she didn't like meat and Asuka wanted her to be there. It's one of her nicest moments.
• Neon Genesis Evangelion Angelic Days Chapter 2-4 has its take on the battle with the Third Angel. Shinji demands to be sent out to battle in place of Kaworu, and ends up in trouble almost right away, forcing Rei to put herself in danger for him, which in turn makes him have to fight for her. After the battle, Shinji sees Rei holding her bandaged hand over her eye. Shinji feels bad for impulsively rushing into battle for her, and feels it's his fault that she got injured. But what does Rei have to say after all this?

Rei: (smiling cheerfully as ever) "It bled a lot, but it's no big deal." Shinji: "I...I'm..." Rei: Shinji. You saved me. Thank you.

• • In the regular series, Shinji doing all of this would've gotten him into big trouble with Misato. Instead...

Misato: "We're not usually good at something the first time we try it, are we? But you did great for your first time, really. You can't blame yourself for what happened to Rei." Shinji: "But I...I was so scared that I couldn't even move! Rei got hurt because she was protecting a coward! And after all that, she still said, 'Thank you.'" Misato: "Because you did it. You protected us. All of us."

• • Heck, just knowing that somewhere out there there is a universe where Shinji, Asuka, and Rei are sane and happy is heartwarming enough.
• The moment when Shinji grieves over Kaworu has always had a special place in this troper's heart.
• In End of Evangelion
  • Misato's smile as she sends off Shinji for the last time always tugs at my heartstrings/tear ducts.
  • Right before Maya turns into LCL, Ritsuko appears, hugs her and quickly types something on Maya's laptop, which is sitting next to them. Then we get a shot of the screen as the LCL splashes on it, and written on it is "I Need You".
  • After Asuka comes out of the Sea of LCL, Shinji strangles her at the end of very stressful day. So rather than to return the favor, Asuka does the impossible: She caresses his face. After this, he stops, realizes what he's doing and releases her (and if the VHS/DVD art is canon, stays by her side). This may double as an Aw, Look -- They Really Do Love Each Other moment, but it's hard to tell given the overall tone of the film.
    • This troper always took the last line of the film to mean something along the lines of, "yeah, I'm back, now stop crying, jerk, you're ruining the mood." From that perspective, it's really rather uplifting: Instrumentality might have royally fucked the world, but Asuka hasn't let it break her, and she'll be damned if she lets Shinji break her or himself.
  • I think Rei/Kaworu/Yui's messages in the Instrumentality sequence are pretty hartwarming.
• Episode 24, Kaworu tell's Shinji he feel's empathy for him. When Shinji question's him, Kaworu simply says, "I love you". And we're totally cool with it.
  • This is mainly because it's not Ho Yay for the hell of it that Kaworu's talking about. While Shinji may have been sexually attracted to Kaworu in some odd way, what Kaworu was feeling was pure, unconditional love for someone else and he has no trouble sincerely admitting it. Things get worse sometime after this of course, but Shinji really needed what Kaworu was showing him during that time.
• Yui's soul making contact with Shinji near the end of Episode 16. The scene just feels so warm and loving, like a mother should be.
• Misato sobbing uncontrollably at the sight of Shinji unharmed, then hugging him tightly in Episode 16 proved somebody genuinely cares about Shinji after all.
• Knowing that although the Gainax Ending looks bleak, there is now a new hope to humanity. Shinji and Asuka might be the only souls left on Earth, but there's still billions more people who can come back if they wish.
• Hikari sitting next to Toji's bedside. That girl definitely loves the guy, and after what he's gone through, he deserves her love.
• The series' ultimate message. For all the cynicism and truely mind-shattering imagery of the show, all Gendo, SEELE, the cast (particularly Shinji and Asuka), and, hell, all of humanity wants is to be loved and accepted.