World is Watching, the admiral of Over the Rainbow also constitutes a tribute to Nadia; according to him, "Asuka Strikes!" "manage[s] to pastiche all the classic ocean adventures from Moby Dick up to Jaws". Yuichiro Oguro, editor of some of the extra content of the Japanese home video editions of the series, noted from "Asuka Strikes!" onward the series portrays the characters and their interpersonal communications in a positive light. In the episode, Shinji and Asuka cooperate to defeat an Angel, beginning the series' action arc. Compared to its predecessors, the episode is characterised by great positivity, a lot of action and humour. Anime News Network's Nick Creamer also noted after Asuka's debut Neon Genesis Evangelion adopts a monster of the week pattern. Reception "Asuka Strikes!" was first broadcast on November 22, 1995, and drew a 7.6% audience share on Japanese television. In 1996, it ranked nineteenth in Animage Anime Grand Prix list of "Best Anime Episodes". Official merchandise based on the episode has also been released. The episode was received positively by critics and reviewers, who lauded its direction, plot, humor, action, and Asuka's introduction. Digitally Obsessed's reviewer Joel Cunningham praised "Asuka Strikes!", describing it as "the funniest episode in the series"; Cunningham particularly enjoyed the "hilarious" relationship between Shinji and Asuka, saying; "A great introduction of a great character, and some very amusing dialogue, make this one of the standouts of the show thus far". Film School Rejects's Max Covill ranked it among the best episodes of the series, saying; "an Asuka-centered episode is usually a great sign of quality, and this is a lot of fun"; he also praised the first scene, which portrays Asuka in shadow, for bringing a sense of mystery to the new character. Animation Planet magazine's John Beam positively reviewed "Asuka Strikes!"; he also lauded the show for its "outstanding characterizations, animations, and dramatic presentation". Animé Café's Japanese reviewer Akio Nagatomi negatively received the episode. He criticized the introduction of Asuka and Kaji, which he said are stereotypical and cliché characters, and the introduction of Eva-02 "with a Phantom of the Opera style cloak". The reviewer was particularly critical of Asuka, the script, and the details of the plot and setting, which he said are unrealistic. Despite this, he praised the direction, saying; "the show does have flow; something to which a lot of other feature's can't lay claim". Looper's Thompson Smith described