{{good article}} {{Infobox television episode | series = Neon Genesis Evangelion | image = Jet Alone.jpg | image_size = | caption = Eva-01 (right) tries to stop Jet Alone (left). The Jet Alone affair has been described by critics as a deconstruction of the mecha genre and a political satire. | season = | episode = 7 | production = | writer = Hideaki Anno, Yoji Enokido | director = Keiichi Sugiyama | airdate = {{Start date|1995|11|15}} | guests = | length = 22 minutes | prev = Rei II | next = Asuka Strikes! | episode_list = List of Neon Genesis Evangelion episodes }} "'''A Human Work'''", also known by the Japanese title {{nihongo foot|"'''The Works of Man'''",|人の造りしもの|Hito no Tsukurishimono|group=lower-alpha|lead=yes}} is the seventh episode of the Japanese anime television series ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'', which was created by Gainax. The episode, written by Hideaki Anno and Yoji Enokido and directed by Keiichi Sugiyama, was first broadcast on TV Tokyo on November 15, 1995. The series is set fifteen years after a worldwide cataclysm named Second Impact, and is mostly set in the futuristic, fortified city Tokyo-3. The series' protagonist is Shinji Ikari, a teenage boy who is recruited by his father Gendo to the organization Nerv to pilot a giant bio-mechanical mecha named Evangelion into combat with beings called Angels. In the episode, a rival organization of Nerv builds Jet Alone, a prototype giant robot with an onboard nuclear reactor as an alternative to the Evangelions. During the first public test of Jet Alone, it goes out of control and marches toward a nearby city with its reactor close to a meltdown. Shinji keeps the robot at bay in his Evangelion while Nerv's Major Misato Katsuragi gets inside Jet Alone and shuts down the reactor.
"A Human Work" contains quotes from Japanese and Western directors such as Stanley Kubrick, Kihachi Okamoto and Kunihiko Ikuhara, and cultural references to scientific and religious concepts, including apoptosis, the giant-impact hypothesis and the Tree of the Sephiroth. The episode's first broadcast scored a 5.9% rating of audience share on Japanese television. "A Human Work" received a divided reception; some reviewers considered it to be a filler episode for the series' plot, while others appreciated the political implications and character development. The episode has been described as a deconstruction of the mecha genre and the Jet Alone affair as a parody of the stylistic features of giant robot stories.
==Plot== Commander Gendo Ikari, head of the special agency Nerv, talks via telephone to Ryoji Kaji, who tells Ikari he has answered the information requests with falsified data, and then asks if he should do something about "that other matter". Ikari boards an SSTO and talks with an unknown person who says the budget for building more Evangelion mechas has been approved. Meanwhile, young Evangelion pilot Shinji Ikari is embarrassed by his legal guardian Major Misato Katsuragi's sloppy behavior. Shinji is also briefed on the truth about Second Impact by Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, who tells him that the official story about a freak meteor-strike is a cover-up. In reality, the catastrophe was caused by the sudden awakening of an Angel in Antarctica. It is believed that the Angels' ultimate goal is to cause Third Impact, and it is hoped that Nerv can prevent this outcome by fighting the Angels with the Evangelions. Meanwhile, Misato, who is present at Shinji's briefing, is uncharacteristically quiet and deep in thought as Ritsuko speaks.
Misato and Ritsuko attend a private company's demonstration of Jet Alone, its giant, Angel-fighting robot. During the demonstration, the robot goes out of control and its reactor becomes critical. Because the radio command circuit has been broken, Misato decides to catch Jet Alone using Shinji's mecha, Eva-01, enter Jet Alone and delete its programming directly with the code "Hope". Shinji catches Jet Alone and Misato successfully boards it. The password fails to stop the reactor and Misato attempts to manually push the control rods back into the reactor. At the last moment, the rods reinsert themselves. Misato realizes the robot was never intended to melt down and that the whole situation was a result of sabotage. Later, Ritsuko and Ikari speak in his office; she explains that their plan with Jet Alone went off with no problems, other than Misato's attempted interference, and he congratulates her on a job well done. The next morning, Shinji is upset again for Misato's behavior at home, until his school friends Toji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida say that Misato shows him a side of her personality no one else sees because she considers him family. Shinji smiles wistfully at that thought.
==Production== thumb|left|upright=1.1|''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' director Hideaki Anno
Gainax studio staff decided the base plot for "A Human Work" in 1993, when it wrote a presentation document of ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' named {{nihongo|''New Century Evangelion (tentative name) Proposal''|新世紀エヴァンゲリオン (仮) 企画書|Shinseiki Evangelion (kari) kikakusho|}},<ref>{{Cite book|author=Gainax|title=Neon Genesis Evangelion Newtype 100% Collection|date=1998|publisher=Kadokawa Shoten|language=ja|isbn=4-04-852700-2|page=88}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Nebbia|2023|loc=Chap. 2: La Proposition}}</ref> containing a first draft of the planned episodes.{{sfn|Marine|2021|p=63}} In ''Proposal'' document, which was published in 1994,<ref>{{harvp|Nebbia|2023|loc=Chap. 1: Lancement du Project Eva}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |date=2021 |title=Neon Genesis Evangelion Blue Ray Ultimate Edition Encyclopedia |chapter=History 1993-1999}}</ref> its Japanese title was written with a comma, as {{nihongo|"''Hito no, tsukurishimono''"|人の、造りしもの||litt. "A man-made thing"}}.<ref>{{cite book|title=Neon Genesis Evangelion Theatralical VHS Box Booklet|language=ja|publisher=King Amusement Creative|date=1997}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Evangelion Chronicle |volume=18 |page=25|publisher=Sony Magazines |language=ja}}</ref> Yoji Enokido<ref>{{cite book |title=Evangelion Chronicle |volume=43 |page=18 |publisher=Sony Magazines |language=ja}}</ref><ref name=Production>{{harvp|Nebbia|2023|loc=Chap. 1: Production et catastrophes}}</ref> and ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' director Hideaki Anno<ref>{{cite book |title=Evangelion Chronicle |volume=43 |page=13 |publisher=Sony Magazines |language=ja}}</ref> wrote the script for the episode; director Anno also worked on the storyboards,<ref>{{cite book |date=2021|title=Neon Genesis Evangelion Blue Ray Ultimate Edition Encyclopedia|chapter=Staff}}</ref> while Keiichi Sugiyama served as the episode's director.<ref>{{Cite book|author=Gainax|title=Neon Genesis Evangelion Newtype 100% Collection|date=1998|publisher=Kadokawa Shoten|language=ja|isbn=4-04-852700-2|page=178}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Data of Evangelion|publisher=Gainax|page=21|language=ja|year=2003|editor=Gainax}}</ref> Masahiko Otsuka worked as assistant director, Shunji Suzuki as chief animator<ref>{{cite book|language=ja|title=Groundwork of Evangelion|volume=1|date=2000|isbn=4903713008|publisher=Gainax|page=217|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/a/ac/Groundwork_of_EVANGELION_VOL.1_JP.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231026214136/https://retrocdn.net/images/a/ac/Groundwork_of_EVANGELION_VOL.1_JP.pdf|archive-date=26 October 2023}}</ref> and Mitsumu Wogi as assistant character designer.{{sfn|Poggio|2008|p=22}}{{sfn|Porori|2009|p=76}}
For the Jet Alone dossier visible in the first scene in Gendo's office of "A Human Work", produced by the Gainax Shop, the staff recreated the original material generated with a Macintosh and modified it.<ref>{{cite book|title=Neon Genesis Evangelion Film Book|volume=3|language=ja|publisher=Kadokawa Shoten|page=7}}</ref> Writer Virginie Nebbia likened Gendo's office to the visual style of Akio Jissoji, known as the director of various ''Ultraman'' episodes; as noted by Nebbia, Jissoji often uses shots in which the set preponderantly occupies the screen and the characters are shot from a distance.<ref>{{harvp|Nebbia|2023|loc=Chap. 3: L'Ultraman de Jissôji}}</ref> The episode also depicts real-life vehicles such as an SSTO spacecraft<ref>{{cite book|title=Neon Genesis Evangelion Film Book|volume=3|language=ja|publisher=Kadokawa Shoten|page=14}}</ref>{{sfn|Porori|2009|p=79}}{{sfn|Glossary|1998|p=29}} and a Ferrari 328.{{sfn|Cannarsi|1998 |p=19}}<ref>{{cite book|title=Neon Genesis Evangelion Film Book|volume=3|language=ja|publisher=Kadokawa Shoten|page=9}}</ref>{{sfn|Glossary|1998|p=140}} The American Northrop YB-49 prototype jet-powered heavy bomber was initially chosen for the image of the Eva transport aircraft, but the crew later decided to use the North American XB-70 Valkyrie.<ref>{{cite book|title=Neon Genesis Evangelion Film Book|volume=3|language=ja|publisher=Kadokawa Shoten|page=19}}</ref> In the scene in which Eva-01 jumps from the aircraft to chase the Jet Alone, the Eva would have to stumble forward in the real world, but the staff wanted the flow to be more fluid.<ref>{{cite book|title=Neon Genesis Evangelion Film Book|volume=3|language=ja|publisher=Kadokawa Shoten|pages=20–21}}</ref> For the scene Anno took inspiration from ''tokusatsu'' shows, including ''Ultraman''.<ref name="animestyle hashimoto04">{{cite web|url=http://www.style.fm/as/01_talk/hashimoto_t04.shtml|title=animator interview 橋本敬史 (4)『エヴァンゲリオン』と磯光雄ショック |trans-title=animator interview Takashi Hashimoto (4) "Evangelion" and Mitsuo Iso shock|language= ja|date= January 8, 2009|access-date= October 17, 2021|website=WEB Anime Style|publisher=Style}}</ref> Writer Virginie Nebbia noticed that Misato, usually depicted in a sensual manner, wears long pajamas that cover her entire body in "Hedgehog's Dilemma", an episode which Anno basically did not write, while in "A Human Work" Misato is represented with neckline and shorts; Nebbia traced the origin of this fan service use to Anno's hand on the storyboards.<ref>{{harvp|Nebbia|2023|loc=Chap. 3: L'utilisation du fan service}}</ref> The episode also contains homages to the animator Kunihiko Ikuhara, a friend of the director Anno, whose name is used for a society mentioned in the scene in which Misato and Ritsuko discuss with Shiro Tokita,{{sfn|Glossary|1998|p=14}} and Kihachi Okamoto, of whom it takes up various directing techniques.{{sfn|Cannarsi|1998 |pp=42–43}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.style.fm/as/05_column/animesama39.shtml |title=第39回 エヴァ雑記「第六話 決戦、第３新東京市」 |language=ja |access-date=July 23, 2020 |first=Yūichirō |last=Oguro |archive-date=October 10, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181010181959/http://www.style.fm/as/05_column/animesama39.shtml |url-status=live}}</ref>
Koichi Yamadera, Hiro Yūki, Tetsuya Iwanaga, Tomokazu Seki and Megumi Hayashibara, voice actors of several main characters in the series, played unidentified characters for "A Human Work", including announcers and Shinji's unnamed classmates.<ref>{{cite book |title=Data of Evangelion|publisher=Gainax|page=62|language=ja|year=2003|editor=Gainax}}</ref> A four-beat Jazz version of ''Fly Me to the Moon''<ref>{{cite book |title=Evangelion Chronicle |volume=26 |page=26|publisher=Sony Magazines |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Neon Genesis Evangelion: Platinum Edition Booklet |volume=4|chapter=Fly Me to the Moon |publisher=ADV}}</ref> sung by Japanese singer Yoko Takahashi was used as the ending theme.{{sfn|Cannarsi|1998 |p=26}}<ref>{{cite book|language=ja|title=Neon Genesis Evangelion Laserdisc Encyclopedia|volume=4|date=1996}}</ref>
==Cultural references and themes== [[File:Orion III spaceplane model Science Museum London.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|The SSTO that appears in a scene from "A Human Work" has been compared to a spaceship that appeared in ''2001: A Space Odyssey''.]]
In the first scene Gendo is framed in his office and the Tree of the Sephiroth, a diagram of the Jewish Kabbalah, is visible on the ceiling of the room.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Ortega|first=Mariana|year=2007|title=My Father, He Killed Me; My Mother, She Ate Me: Self, Desire, Engendering, and the Mother in Neon Genesis Evangelion |journal=Mechademia |volume=2 |pages=216–232 |isbn=978-0-8166-5266-2 |doi=10.1353/mec.0.0010|s2cid=120554645}}</ref> The ceiling illustration of Commander Ikari is taken from Athanasius Kircher's ''Oedipus Aegyptiacus''.{{sfn|Cannarsi|1998 |p=17}} ''Slant Magazine''{{'s}} Micheal Peterson noted that Gendo's position at the desk "is in relation to the Godhead symbol on the tree".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/tv/the-economy-of-visual-language-neon-genesis-evangelion/ |title=The Economy of Visual Language: Neon Genesis Evangelion |website=Slant Magazine |date=29 August 2008 |access-date=22 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140725133718/http://www.slantmagazine.com/house/2008/08/the-economy-of-visual-language-neon-genesis-evangelion/ |archive-date=25 July 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref> The office's floor also depicts a cosmological diagram by Robert Fludd.{{sfn|Glossary|1998|p=91}}<ref>{{cite book |title=Evangelion Chronicle |volume=13 |page=12 |publisher=Sony Magazines |language=ja}}</ref> In the same scene, a text that mentions apoptosis and apobiosis,{{sfn|Glossary|1998|p=9}} is framed.{{sfn|Cannarsi|1998 |p=35}}<ref>{{cite book |title=Evangelion Chronicle |volume=2 |page=23 |publisher=Sony Magazines |language=ja}}</ref> The text also mentions the molecular polarisation rate; according to the book {{nihongo|''Evangelion Glossary''|エヴァンゲリオン用語事典 |Evangerion Yougo Jiten}} by Yahata Shoten, in molecular spectroscopic analysis the term indicates the polarisation ratio of incident light, such as laser or X-ray light, on a molecule of interest.{{sfn|Glossary|1998|p=156}} The same book noted how the name of the Japanese language recognition code of the Jet Alone's operating system, KOZAIC7, is similar to {{nihongo|Cosaic|こざいく|}}, a software for creating Internet home pages.{{sfn|Glossary|1998|p=56}} Moreover, Shiro Tokita's name comes from Ryū Murakami's novel {{nihongo |''Ai to gensō no fascism'' |愛と幻想のファシズム | |"The Fascism of Love and Fantasy"}}.{{sfn|Glossary|1998|p=120}}<ref name=Essay>{{cite web|author=Hideaki Anno| url = http://www.gainax.co.jp/hills/anno/essay1.html| title =Essay|date=November 2, 2000| website =Gainax.co.jp| publisher =Gainax| access-date =July 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070220135947/http://www.gainax.co.jp/hills/anno/essay1.html|archive-date=February 20, 2007|language=ja}}</ref> The episode also mentions other characters named after characters from the Murakami's novel: Witz,{{sfn|Glossary|1998|p=20}} Manda,{{sfn|Glossary|1998|p=155}} Yasugi,{{sfn|Glossary|1998|p=160}} and Yoshizawa.{{sfn|Glossary|1998|p=162}}
A school text by Shinji with fictitious, manipulated details on Second Impact and revelations on First Impact is framed in the episode;<ref>{{cite book |date=2021|title=Neon Genesis Evangelion Blue Ray Ultimate Edition Encyclopedia|chapter=Episode:7 A Human Work}}</ref>{{sfn|Cannarsi|1998 |p=36}} the informations constitute a reference to the giant-impact hypothesis.{{sfn|Cannarsi|1998 |p=20}}<ref>{{cite book|first=Carl Gustav|last= Horn|chapter=Secrets of Evangelion|title=Neon Genesis Evangelion 3-in-1 Edition|volume=2|date=2013|publisher=Viz Media|isbn=978-1-4215-5305-4}}</ref> The First Impact is involved in the process of the formation of the Moon.{{sfn|Glossary|1998|p=138}} According to official reports, the cause of the Second Impact can be traced to the crash of a meteorite on Mount Markham, detected fifteen minutes before impact by an amateur astronomer named Nan Seimoa.{{sfn|Glossary|1998|p=85}} People are led to believe that the meteorite was ten centimeters in diameter but with a mass close to {{val|4.02|e=20|u=tons}}.{{sfn|Glossary|1998|p=105}} Dr. Ritsuko Akagi reveals that fifteen years before the events of the series humans discovered the first Angel in Antarctica instead.<ref>{{cite book|title=Newtype Complete Shinseiki Evangerion|script-title=ja:Newtype Complete 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン|trans-title=Newtype Complete Neon Genesis Evangelion|publisher=Kadokawa Shoten|year=2005|language=ja|page=37}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Newtype|publisher=Kadokawa Shoten|date=February 1996|page=19|language=ja|title=謎の深淵}}</ref> According to academic Fabio Bartoli, the fact that the Second Impact occurred in Antarctica and is associated with the meteorite can be linked to the ALH84001 meteorite found in the Allan Hills in 1984, in whose structures there are shapes that were initially assumed to be evidence of alien life forms.<ref name=Bartoli>{{cite journal|last=Bartoli|first=Fabio|url=http://www.antrocom.net/upload/sub/antrocom/040108/06-Antrocom.pdf|title=Neon Genesis Evangelion e la Kabbalah: dal Tempo di dolore al Tempo Benedetto|year=2008|journal=Antrocom|volume=4|issue=1|page=30|access-date=18 April 2020|language=it|archive-date=22 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180422065644/http://www.antrocom.net/upload/sub/antrocom/040108/06-Antrocom.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> A document visible in the episode also mentions the Shinkai 6500.{{sfn|Glossary|1998|p=74}} Japanese architect Yasutaka Yoshimura regarded SSTO's interior visible in the previous scenes as a possible reference to a spacecraft visible in the movie ''2001: A Space Odyssey'' (1968),<ref>{{cite book| date = 1997 | editor = Kaichiro Morikawa | first=Yasutaka|last= Yoshimura|chapter=Sonata for EVANGELION – POP – A Compilation of the quoted 60's motifs|title=The Evangelion Style|publisher=Daisan Shokan|language=ja|page=32|isbn=4-8074-9718-9}}</ref> while Jet Alone's name comes from the robot Jet Jaguar,<ref name=Desfilms>{{harvp|Nebbia|2023|loc=Chap. 2: Les 2001 des films d'animation}}</ref> appeared in the special effects film ''Godzilla vs. Megalon'' (1973) and originally called "Red Alone".<ref>{{cite book |title=Neon Genesis Evangelion Platinum Edition Booklet |volume=2 |publisher=ADV}}</ref>{{sfn|Marine|2021|p=92}}
The episode's pivotal theme is interpersonal communication.{{sfn|Cannarsi|1998 |p=16}} In "A Human Work", the psychology of Shinji and of Misato is deepened. Shinji finishes the first part of his path in the episode.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.style.fm/as/05_column/animesama41.shtml |title=第41回 エヴァ雑記「第八話 アスカ、来日」 |language=ja |access-date=July 23, 2020 |first=Yūichirō |last=Oguro |archive-date=October 10, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181010182026/http://www.style.fm/as/05_column/animesama41.shtml |url-status=live}}</ref> The installment also centers around the different aspects of Misato's psychology; she wears various masks<ref>{{cite book |title=Evangelion Chronicle |volume=43 |page=15 |publisher=Sony Magazines |language=ja}}</ref> and shows herself to be an elder sister, a rough spinster and daring soldier at the same time,<ref>{{cite book |title=Evangelion Chronicle |volume=43 |page=22 |publisher=Sony Magazines |language=ja}}</ref> confusing Shinji.{{sfn|Cannarsi|1998 |pp=46–47}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.style.fm/as/05_column/animesama40.shtml |title=第40回 エヴァ雑記「第七話 人の造りしもの」 |language=ja |access-date=July 23, 2020 |first=Yūichirō |last=Oguro |archive-date=October 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020091503/http://www.style.fm/as/05_column/animesama40.shtml |url-status=live}}</ref> At the end of the episode, Shinji notices Misato shows her coarser, vulnerable side because he is part of her family;<ref>{{cite book |title=Evangelion Chronicle |volume=43 |page=21 |publisher=Sony Magazines |language=ja}}</ref> after the event, the psychological distance between the two lessens.<ref>{{cite book|title=Neon Genesis Evangelion Film Book|volume=3|language=ja|publisher=Kadokawa Shoten|page=25}}</ref> Japanese magazine ''Newtype'' noted how Shinji had a passive attitude until the Jet Alone affair, in which "he is genuinely worried about someone else for the first time".<ref>{{cite book|title=Newtype Complete 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン|publisher=Kadokawa Shoten|year=2005|language=ja|page=50}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Newtype|publisher=Kadokawa Shoten|date=April 1996|language=ja|page=14|title=少年は神話になる}}</ref> Misato also tries to stop the Jet Alone "with the hands of man" in "A Human Work".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.style.fm/as/05_column/animesama45.shtml |title=第45回 エヴァ雑記「第拾弐話 奇跡の価値は」 |language=ja |access-date=July 23, 2020 |first=Yūichirō |last=Oguro |archive-date=March 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301180911/http://www.style.fm/as/05_column/animesama45.shtml |url-status=live}}</ref> Optimism and hope towards human abilities are themes already present in earlier works of Hideaki Anno, like ''Gunbuster'' and ''Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water''.{{sfn|Cannarsi|1998 |pp=40-41}} Furthermore, according to writer Virginie Nebbia, "Human Work" draws a clear metanarrative parallel between Nerv and Gainax. Misato and the others complain about their salaries as they try to save the world, similar to the members of Gainax, a group of enthusiasts who have been involved in animation for years despite economic insecurity.<ref name=Production/>
In the course of the episode, Misato and Ritsuko find themselves at a table alone surrounded by a mostly male crowd; Tokita criticises Nerv by comparing Eva-01 to a "hysterical woman". Ritsuko does not flinch and asks Tokita pertinent and direct questions. Male attendants ignore her presumed prestige and competency, publicly mocking and ridiculing her.<ref>{{cite journal|volume=14|issue=3|first=Katherine|last=Savoy|title=The Artificial Restoration of Agency through Sex and Technology in Neon Genesis Evangelion|journal=Electronic Journal of Contemporary Japanese Studies|url=https://japanesestudies.org.uk/ejcjs/vol14/iss3/savoy.html|access-date=27 May 2026|date=2014}}</ref> According to Nebbia, this is indicative of how the series portrays women as active and criticises ''machismo''.<ref>{{harvp|Nebbia|2023|loc=Chap. 3: Les mamans et les femmes}}</ref> Nebbia also compared Misato's attempt to stop the Jet Alone with David Bowman from ''2001: A Space Odyssey'', who tries to manually stop the artificial intelligence HAL 9000 in the film.<ref name=Desfilms/> Comic Book Resources's Matthee England described the Jet Alone affair as one of the more concentrated examples of ''Evangelion''{{'s}} deconstruction of the mecha genre.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Comic Book Resources|website=Cbr.com|first=Matthew|last=England|url=https://www.cbr.com/neon-genesis-evangelion-mecha-anime-genre/|title=Neon Genesis Evangelion: The 5 Best Ways It Deconstructed The Mecha Anime (& 5 Ways It Elevated The Genre)|date=7 July 2020|access-date=6 June 2021|archive-date=3 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603155610/https://www.cbr.com/neon-genesis-evangelion-mecha-anime-genre/|url-status=live}}</ref> An official encyclopedia about the series also noted how the Jet Alone is the only actual robot in the whole ''Evangelion'' series.{{sfn|Poggio|2008|p=75}} According to Anime Feminist website writer Jeremy Tauber, the conversation between Gendo and a United Nation representative on the SSTO references the declining Japanese economy, its military expenditures, and its budgeting, reading "something that was on the mind of Japanese economists who witnessed the nation's unemployment rate rise while America was enjoying a gradual fall in theirs".<ref name=AF>{{cite web|publisher=Anime Feminist|website=animefeminist.com|first=Jeremy|last=Tauber|date=15 May 2024|url=https://www.animefeminist.com/evangelion-alienation-and-japans-1990s-economic-crisis/|title=Evangelion, alienation, and Japan's 1990s economic crisis|access-date=4 December 2024|archive-date=15 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515170012/https://www.animefeminist.com/evangelion-alienation-and-japans-1990s-economic-crisis/}}</ref> For Tauber, the fact that the Japanese Heavy Chemicals Industry lose control over Jet Alone "not only highlights the destructive consequences of capitalist competition, but also the electronics industry's failure to provide anything useful to the Japanese citizenry".<ref name=AF/> For ''Evangelion Chronicle'', with the Jet Alone sabotage affair Nerv is portrayed as a mysterious organization that is difficult to trust, following and amplifying the trend inaugurated by ''Mobile Suit Gundam'' anime series, which in 1979 proposed a scenario questioning the classic model of good and righteous guys versus bad guys.<ref>{{cite book |title=Evangelion Chronicle |volume=48 |page=10|publisher=Sony Magazines |language=ja}}</ref> Critic Dennis Redmond also described it a satire of "the arrogance of Japan's nuclear power lobby" and ''keiretsu'' business elite.<ref>{{cite book | first=Dennis|last=Redmond|title=The World is Watching: Video as Multinational Aesthetics, 1968–1995|date=2004|publisher=Southern Illinois University Press|isbn=0-8093-2535-7|page=133}}</ref>
==Reception== "A Human Work" had a mixed reception. The episode was first broadcast on November 15, 1995, and scored a 5.9% rating of audience share on Japanese TV.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Newtype|publisher=Kadokawa Shoten|date=February 1996|page=66|language=ja|title=Anime Land}}</ref> Digitally Obsessed's reviewer Joel Cunningham criticized the episode as being probably the worst in the series and unnecessary; according to Cunningham, nothing happens and events remain unchanged at the end. He described the action scenes as "well done, but ultimately frivolous" and also said "there aren't even any particularly good character moments".<ref>{{cite web|access-date=30 May 2021|url=http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/displaylegacy.php?ID=2959|title=Neon Genesis Evangelion Collection 0:2 (1995)|date=8 March 2002|publisher=Digitally Obsessed!|website=Digitallyobsessed.com|first=Joel|last=Cunningham|archive-date=2 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213418/http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/displaylegacy.php?ID=2959|url-status=live}}</ref> According to Multiverity Comics' Matthew Garcia, "A Human Work" is not among ''Evangelion''<noinclude>'</noinclude>s best episodes, but it does manage to come together in the third act, in large part thanks to Misato.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.multiversitycomics.com/tv/evangelion-07-08/|title=Five Thoughts on Neon Genesis Evangelion's "The Works of Man" and "Asuka Arrives in Japan"|publisher=Multiversity Comics|date=4 July 2021|access-date=16 January 2022|archive-date=4 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210704170118/http://www.multiversitycomics.com/tv/evangelion-07-08/|url-status=live}}</ref>
Animé Café's Japanese reviewer Akio Nagatomi negatively received the episode, since it portrays governments as "simple-minded idiots", but also praised the sub-plots involving Misato's double face and the conspiracy that leads to the Jet Alone malfunction, the animation and some "neat" angle shots, like the drop-shipping of the Eva from the bomber. He concluded; "Not a great episode, though the political background has me a little intrigued".<ref>{{cite web|publisher=The Animé Café|access-date=31 May 2021|url=https://www.abcb.com/eva/eva_t007.htm|title=Shinseiki Evangelion Review Pages – Episode 7: The Human Creation / A Human Work|website=Abcb.com|archive-date=2 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802083530/http://www.abcb.com/eva/eva_t007.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Film School Rejects's Max Covill said "A Human Work" does not advance the series' plot "in any meaningful way", but praised the scene involving Misato and Ritsuko. He described it as "an exciting episode" that provides additional background on important supporting characters.<ref>{{cite web|first=Max|last=Covill|publisher=Film School Rejects|website=Filmschollrejects.com|url=https://filmschoolrejects.com/neon-genesis-evangelion-ranked/2/|title=Every Episode of 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' Ranked|date=17 June 2019|access-date=21 March 2021|archive-date=8 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108222245/https://filmschoolrejects.com/neon-genesis-evangelion-ranked/2/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Animation Planet'' magazine' John Beam positively reviewed "A Human Work" and "Asuka Strikes!", and praised the show for its "outstanding characterizations, animations, and dramatic presentation".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Neon Genesis Evangelion: Genesis 0:4|first=John|last=Beam|magazine=Animation Planet|pages=13–14|editor=G. Michael Dobbs|publisher=Inkwell Productions|date=1997|volume=1|issue=2}}</ref> SyFy Wire's Daniel Dockery ranked the scenes of the Jet Alone activation and Misato inside it as one of the best "non-depressing moments" in the show, describing Misato as the most underrated ''Evangelion'' character and the second scene as a "tense" moment.<ref>{{cite web |first=Daniel |last=Dockery |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-10-most-awesome-moments-in-neon-genesis-evangelion |title=The 10 most awesome (non-depressing) moments In Neon Genesis Evangelion |date=June 23, 2019 |access-date=July 23, 2020 |website=Syfy.com |archive-date=January 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108222111/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-10-most-awesome-moments-in-neon-genesis-evangelion |url-status=live}}</ref> Comic Book Resources' Devin Meenan also noted that, despite the episode seems inconsequential, "A Human Work" develops Shinji and Misato relationship.<ref>{{cite web|author=Devin Meenan|url=https://www.cbr.com/neon-genesis-evangelion-lightest-darkest-episodes/|title=Neon Genesis Evangelion: The 5 Darkest Episodes (& 5 Lightest)|date=8 January 2022 |publisher=Comic Book Resources|access-date=13 January 2022|archive-date=13 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220113110201/https://www.cbr.com/neon-genesis-evangelion-lightest-darkest-episodes/|url-status=live}}</ref> Yahoo website similarly wrote that, despite being close to a filler episode, "A Human Work" contains a good deal of world-building detail, including the first proper explanation for the Second Impact, and it "lets Misato shine as a character".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/every-neon-genesis-evangelion-episode-180010253.html|title=Every 'Neon Genesis Evangelion' Episode, Ranked from Best to Worst|date=7 February 2025|publisher=Yahoo! Entertainment|access-date=28 February 2025}}</ref>
In the second issue of the ''Gen:Lock'' webseries, a robot that is supposedly superior to gen:Lock named The Shogunate appears. Noting a character named Anno appears in the issue, Bubble Blabber's reviewer David Kaldor regarded The Shogunate as a possible reference to the Jet Alone.<ref>{{cite web|first=David|last=Kaldor|publisher=Bubble Blabber|website=Bubbleblabber.com|date=7 November 2019|url=https://www.bubbleblabber.com/comic-review-genlock-unwelcomeguests-part-2/|title=Comic Review: gen:LOCK "unwelcome:GUESTS Part 2"|access-date=6 June 2021|archive-date=20 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520195549/https://www.bubbleblabber.com/comic-review-genlock-unwelcomeguests-part-2/|url-status=live}}</ref> The episode also inspired official merchandise,<ref>{{cite book |title=Evangelion Chronicle |volume=10 |page=28|publisher=Sony Magazines |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=E-Mono |publisher=Gainax |page=112 |language=ja |date=1997 |isbn=4-04-852868-8}}</ref> including a line of official T-shirts.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Essential Evangelion Chronicle: Side B|language=fr |page=125 |publisher=Glénat |date=2010|isbn=978-2-7234-7121-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/evastore/a70008.html|title=新世紀エヴァンゲリオン 全話Tシャツ 「第七話 人の造りしもの」|publisher=Evangelion Store|language=ja|access-date=22 January 2022|archive-date=22 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122002958/https://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/evastore/a70008.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
==See also== *{{annotated link|Homo faber}}
==References== * 50px Text was copied/adapted from [https://evangelion.fandom.com/wiki/Episode:07 Episode 07] at Evangelion wiki, which is released under a [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 (Unported) (CC-BY-SA 3.0) license]. {{Notelist}}
=== Citations === {{Reflist}}
=== Bibliography === {{refbegin}} * {{cite book| title = エヴァンゲリオン用語事典 第2版| date = 1998| publisher = 八幡書店| language = ja| isbn= 978-4-89350-327-5| ref = {{harvid|Glossary|1998}}}} * {{cite book |first=Gualtiero|last= Cannarsi|title=Evangelion Encyclopedia|volume=4 |date=1998 |publisher=Dynamic Italia |language=it}} * {{Cite book|first=Alessandra|last=Poggio|language=it|year=2008|title=Neon Genesis Evangelion Encyclopedia|publisher=Dynit}} * {{cite book |year= 2009 |first= Syunsou |last= Porori|title=The Essential Evangelion Chronicle: Side A |publisher=Glénat Editions |isbn=978-2-7234-7120-6}} * {{cite book|language=fr|title=Neon Genesis Evangelion: Le renouveau de l'animation japonaise|last=Marine|first= Alexandre|date=2021|publisher=Pix'n love Editions|isbn=978-2-37188-093-1}} * {{cite book |last1=Nebbia |first1=Virginie |title=La Saga Evangelion: L'oeuvre d'une vie |language=fr |publisher=Third Editions |date=2023 |isbn=978-2-3778-4430-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TT7aEAAAQBAJ |access-date=2023-10-25 |archive-date=2023-10-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231025081027/https://books.google.it/books?id=TT7aEAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&hl=it#v=onepage&q&f=false#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live}} {{refend}}
==External links== * {{IMDb episode|0781965}}
{{Neon Genesis Evangelion}}
Category:1995 Japanese television episodes Category:Neon Genesis Evangelion episodes Category:Science fiction television episodes