The Human Instrumentality Podcast
A guided recap of excellent anime
About the show
The Human Instrumentality Podcast celebrates animated fiction from Japan - or, anime - that uses groundbreaking visual storytelling to tell unconventional and moving stories.
Season 2, now airing, tells the story of of beloved director Satoshi Kon, whose brief-but-brilliant oeuvre includes “Perfect Blue” and Paranoia Agent.” Kon’s psychedelic and psychological parade of images and characters celebrate the animated film tradition and critique the society that created it – and the fans that enable its existence. Hosts Ian Cory and Joseph Schafer cover Kon's entire career, from his humble beginnings as a background artist on "Akira" to his final cinematic dreamscape, "Paprika."
Season one, which finished in 2022, covered the animated television series "Neon Genesis Evangelion," unpacking its sometimes cryptic plot, and examining its unique place in pop culture history — it's so much more than a cartoon about teenagers and giant robots.
Follow the Human Instrumentality Podcast on Twitter at @AnotherEvaPod and on Instagram at @humaninstrumentalitypod
Our website is: www.instrumentalitypod.com
The Human Instrumentality Podcast on social media
Episodes
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Unit 11 - Scam God Gendo
April 14th, 2021 | 59 mins 16 secs
Fuyutsuki reveals how a scruffy fuckboy wound up in charge of a secret paramilitary organization. Afterward, Asuka takes a long elevator ride to a short defeat in the most upsetting episode in Eva. Ian examines scammers while Joseph cracks one open and gets in his feelings about histories of abuse. This podcast covers episodes 19 & 20 of Neon Genesis Evangelion. (CW: Sexual abuse.)
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Unit 10 - The LeBron James of Angels
April 7th, 2021 | 58 mins 8 secs
anime, evangelion, neon genesis evangelion
Rei and Asuka fail to come correct when the toughest angel of them all attacks. Shinji, on the other hand, comes out in beast mode. Ian and Joseph stan this top-tier monster battle then unpack one of Eva’s infamous psychedelic sequences. This podcast covers episodes 17 & 18 of Neon Genesis Evangelion.
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Unit 09 - When the Dummy Plug Comes to Collect
March 31st, 2021 | 1 hr 6 mins
anime, evangelion, neon genesis evangelion
Toji Suzahara just wants to shoot some hoops with his buds and eat snacks with the class rep. Instead, he gets in the middle of the most violent episode in Eva. Not even quarantine can stop Ian and Joseph from shit-talking the show’s adults and discussing the long-awaited Dummy Plug. This podcast covers episodes 15 & 16 of Neon Genesis Evangelion.
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Unit 08 - Operation Dirac Sea Freedom
March 24th, 2021 | 1 hr 6 mins
The elder millennials get drunk at a wedding, Asuka gets her first kiss, and Shinji gets sucked into another dimension when Eva begins its morbid second half. Ian discusses what might be the best episode in the whole show before Joseph goes down a rabbit hole of existentialist philosophy with Kierkegaard and Freud. This podcast covers episodes 13 & 14 of Neon Genesis Evangelion.
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Unit 07 - Dispatches from the NERV HR Department
March 17th, 2021 | 1 hr 4 mins
anime, evangelion, neon genesis evangelion
Ritsuko gets a whole angel battle to herself before Eva runs a dreaded “clip show” episode. Ian and Joseph, meanwhile, finally start to pick apart the show’s mind-melting religious lore from the Dead Sea Scrolls to the Kabbalah. This podcast covers episodes 13 & 14 of Neon Genesis Evangelion.
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Unit 06 - Red Shirt Union
March 10th, 2021 | 1 hr 3 mins
anime, evangelion, neon genesis evangelion
The background characters strut their stuff in a fun sci-fi episode before Misato proves what she’s made of in one of the show’s finest showdowns. Ian and Joseph applaud Eva’s comic timing before chipping away at the mystery that is “Second Impact.” This podcast covers episodes 11 & 12 of Neon Genesis Evangelion.
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Unit 05 - Wet Hot Asuka Langley Summer
March 3rd, 2021 | 1 hr 12 mins
anime, evangelion, neon genesis evangelion
Asuka turns the dial up to eleven in a pair of fast-paced and funny episodes. Ian and Joseph go all-in on the show’s Monster of the Week period and nerd out about Evangelion’s incredible use of music. This podcast covers episodes 9 & 10 of Neon Genesis Evangelion.
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Unit 04 - You Are (Jet) Alone
February 24th, 2021 | 57 mins 6 secs
anime, evangelion, neon genesis evangelion
She protects, she attacks, she gives the boys a slap. Eva introduces its last lead character, but not before a massive infodump. Ian unpacks some of the show’s politics while Joseph wonders “Is Asuka best girl?” This podcast covers episodes 7 & 8 of Neon Genesis Evangelion.
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Unit 03 - Ayanami Trap House
February 17th, 2021 | 56 mins 6 secs
anime, evangelion, neon genesis evangelion
Evangelion goes into full sci-fi action mode while Ian and Joseph go hard on the show’s beloved blue-haired slum-dwelling cosplay icon, Rei Ayanami. Plus, a brief run-down on the failed attempts at American adaptations of Eva. This podcast covers episodes 5 & 6 of Neon Genesis Evangelion.
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Unit 02 - Even the Bugs are Horny
February 10th, 2021 | 58 mins 51 secs
anime, evangelion, neon genesis evangelion
Shinji makes some friends and then makes a break for it while Ian and Joseph ask the burning question “are giant monsters supposed to all look like penises?” Plus a little Schopenhauer helps our hosts unpack Eva’s ‘thesis statement.’ This podcast covers episodes 3 & 4 of Neon Genesis Evangelion.
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Unit 01 - Does the Penguin Pay Rent?
February 3rd, 2021 | 1 hr 7 mins
anime, evangelion, neon genesis evangelion
An angel attacks and Shinji gets into the robot for the very first time while Ian and Joseph get into the weeds on Japan’s nuclear anxiety. This podcast covers episodes 1 & 2 of Neon Genesis Evangelion.
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Unit 00 - Metal Gods: a Brief History of Giant Robot Cartoons
January 27th, 2021 | 23 mins 51 secs
anime, evangelion, neon genesis evangelion
The two hosts introduce themselves and offer a brief history of giant robot anime in general, and tell the story of how one college dropout at the end of his rope made one of the best television series ever – Neon Genesis Evangelion.