- A feeling or set of feelings including hatred, cowardice, close-mindedness, arrogance and anger associated with anime characters who pilot mechas or other large engines of war that cause mass destruction. Shinji syndrome is usually characterised by the main character (Usually someone who pilots the death machine) having a period of outright hatred for the thing he's doing, despite an episode ago wanting to pilot aforementioned death robot.

Shinji Ikari is a perfect example of this (And where this syndrome gets it's name) - in most of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Shinji refused to pilot Eva Unit-01 numerous times even though nearly half an episode later he was back in it's control plug.
"Why did Amuro refuse to pilot the Gundam, he was enjoying it a few minutes ago. Man's got Shinji Syndrome for sure."
by Minitru June 24, 2022
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