Рей Аянами
"Rei II" was first broadcast on November 8, 1995, and scored a 7.7% rating of audience share on Japanese TV, the highest up to that point. According to Junichi Sato, after the episode, "Evangelion" and Rei Ayanami sold well in the Japanese market of fan-made comics, known as "doujinshi". In 1996, the episode ranked fourth among "Animage" list of "Best Anime Episodes". In February 1996, "Animedia" magazine ranked Rei's smile scene among the most memorable anime moments of the month. TV Asahi published a ranking of the most significant scenes in the history of animation; the scene where "Rei Ayanami smiles at Shinji for the first time" managed to reach 14th position. Rei's smile also appeared in another ranking of the broadcaster, winning 45th place.