Neon Genesis Evangelion

My problem with Rebuild 2.0 (1.0 was fine) is that it just doesn't have a good story flow.

1: It depends too much on people knowing the details of the first Evangelion series. Otherwise a lot of things go right over your head.

2: It depends too much on flashy graphics to make up for the jerky nature of the plot.

These two things are such a problem that actually from what I've seen people who never saw the first Eva series enjoyed it more, but that's because they thought it was nothing more then giant mecha with flashy explosions.

Understand, I don't object to it being different. I thought the new Asuka had some interesting potential. Rei's relationship with Gendo and trying to bring him and Shinji together, that was interesting too. Mari was an intriguing character. And some of the fights were much better.

But what happened with all those new things? It was an emotional twist of the knife to have Asuka piloting Eva 4. The scene leading to that should have played to that. Instead Asuka was turned into a sex symbol and then destroyed, in what was clearly a big F-U to the crazy Eva fanatics that sexualized Asuka into a fetish. It was very cleverly done, and I understand the sentiment, heck I half agree with it, but I don't watch movies to see creators twist the story to stick it to the fanboys, and I especially didn't think Asuka deserved to be collateral damage in it all. Plus it wasted most of Asuka's new depiction on an internal fan war between the creator and his fandom. You have this new take on Asuka, and then don't do anything with it!

Rei, Gendo, and Shinji? Interesting possibilities, but they didn't actually go anywhere with it, which thinking on it might actually be a good thing as it would really change the nature of the show. But then why did they waste time setting it up?

Mari? She enters as an intriguing new character, and leaves as the same intriguing new character. We didn't really learn anything about her. She's still a blank slate. Neither good nor bad, except that she took up screen time, and we still don't know anything about her. Another loose thread that goes nowhere. Starting to see a pattern?

I don't dislike Rebuild 2.0 because it's different, I disliked it because it sucked. Dangling plot threads, over the top visuals, gratuitous in-fandom commentary, and underdeveloped new characters, I can get those in any Hollywood blockbuster. I expect better from Eva. Almost as disappointing as the Star Wars prequels.

Now maybe Anno will prove me wrong, and Rebuild 3 will make it all make sense, with Rebuild 2 as a build up movie, but I'm doubting it.

Rebuild 1 was just Eva updated with some intriguing new ways of telling the same story. Rebuild 2 seemed to me a movie made by a creative writer who had some great ideas, but couldn't tie them up right, but because he's Anno, and it's Eva, and no matter what it will make money, so everyone decided to just throw it together and hope it works, instead of saying: "no, this sucks compared to what you normally write, go rewrite it till it doesn't."

Yeah... exactly like the Star Wars prequels....

I think 2.0 benefits from an understanding of the events of the original series, but it's not required viewing in my opinion. And saying that it relies too much on cool shit happening just seems a tad ridiculous. I mean, lets face it, NGE's plot itself was pretty convoluted, and in all honesty I feel the rebuild films go out of their way to clear some things up, for example explaining Lilith in 1.0 as the reason why NERV HQ needs to be defended.

And I think the plot and action are pretty synergistic in Rebuild. Like the Zeurel fight for example is set up by Shinji and his interactions with Rei throughout 2.0 and the last bit of 1.0. There's a lot more meaningful character interaction and a better flow to events. In otherwords, I find the narrative of Rebuild to be a lot stronger, and its characters far more approachable. You can argue that a lot of the changes rob it of the depth that NGE had and I frankly can't disagree, but at the same time Rebuild to me is a much more fun piece of entertainment while still having some psychological or philosophical elements.

Introducing Lilith as the reason Angels are attracted to Nerv is one of the big pluses of Rebuild, I agree, but beyond that, I feel Rebuild has one big problem:

It's trying to approach the material with the same pacing of a TV show. The rhythm and focus of events is just way, way off. In 1.0 it was tolerable because the film really found its footing once it started on the path of the Ramiel battle. In 2.0, however, it's downright atrocious. There is simply too much crammed in and not enough focus on each element. Asuka goes from being introduced to presumed dead amidst a whirlwind of other events; it's just silly how much they tried to cram into what felt like an incredibly short span of real time.

That's how it feels, and yet when all is said and done, the four movies will probably be about 2/3 the length of the series in terms of runtime. For cutting out a lot of the significance of Toji, Kensuke, Hikari, Kaji, and Ritsuko, that seems like a high price to pay.

Don't get me wrong; I love seeing Evangelion animated with modern technology and techniques. It's without a doubt a visual and aural pleasure, but nevertheless, I find the story structurally flawed, particularly with 2.0 being rushed. Bardiel is a tough fight to bring to the silver screen, also, because by nature of being a surprise, it has to happen with very little forewarning, so I recognize that there is a significant challenge to doing this.

Overall, I like Rebuild, but I feel it could've done better in adapting the original series in a natural way. Still, there are two movies to come, and they could change quite a bit.

I honestly don't feel things are too rushed, and they still managed to have plenty of downtime between shit. Compared to other Anime compilation movies, like Zeta A New Translation, the Rebuild movies I feel are able to create their own pace. It is a tad fast, but I don't think its breakneck and it allows for a lot of the quieter moments that really make Evangelion what it is.

The only part of Rebuild that I LIKE and will defend to the death is Ramiel's new design and the battle with it and Shinji and Rei.

EDIT:

Also yeah Asuka was effectively trashed in Rebuild 2.0.

edited 12th Jun '12 10:35:52 AM by Couchpotato20

I liked God Shinji, and I liked Asuka more in Rebuild.

Also, Asukra was Renamed Shikinami to match the theme name.

All of Rei's, Asuka's, and Mari's names are named after Japanese Naval ship lines.

Makes sense to me.

@Demongod

Asuka in rebuild is so damn bland it isn't even funny. The only time she does anything is in battle which is all Rebuild is pretty much about. The psychological fuckery is gone, and same with relationships. Sohryu is much better sounding than Shikinami.

While Rei is given the more sociable personality Asuka is an anti-social. Total Fix Fic change. It's because of Asuka's personality in the old Evangelion series that she was voted #3 of the top ten best female anime characters of 2010. Her char for Rebuild was voted number 8. That says something.

Or maybe it's just different and you can't stand changes? Like sure, you can say you like Soryu better; I like Shikinami better just because she's simply more likable, but keep in mind they're to different characters. I can't believe how many feathers were rustled over the Unit-03 incident when obviously she'll be back in 3.0. That was a change I really liked about Rebuild because Asuka being in their makes the scene much more meaningful to me.

And I find the Psychological Fuckery from the original to be outright stupid and was only the result of Creator Breakdown and a drying budget.

I still say this should happen to Asuka in Rebuild 3.0◊

I honestly like the concepts of it as a case study, but as compelling characters I actually care about Rebuild gets that across more. I do think the Psycho-Analysis stuff was planned from the beginning though.

Yes, but it was also planned for the series to have at least 5 episodes before the budget ran dry and be more like what Rebuild is.

Hideaki Anno has already proven before he can make a traditional Super Robot series to begin with.

I'm really looking forward to Kaworu's role in the last two movies.

I mean I do concede Rebuild isn't as deep as NGE, or at the very least doesn't attempt that level of Psycho analysis, but saying that it lacks depth because of that strikes me as silly.

edited 12th Jun '12 11:10:44 AM by Scherzo09

@Scherzo 09

Usually, that'd be true but drawing comparisons to the two unit 3 incidents I easily say the original is better. As pointed out before Asuka in rebuild is anti-social and doesn't have an iota of the deep bond that he had with her in the original series. Her being in unit 03 and his resigning from NERV despite how little connection the have is weird.

In the original Touji, Shinji's amigo, his buddy, number one pal in the whole world is offered a job as a pilot and Shinji doesn't know jackshit about it. Asuka tries to tell him but is taken out, Rei hesitates because of the bond she forged with him (and helping humanize her more) is taken out. Once Shinji is left tonight he refuses and Gendo takes over. After time has passed and he finds out who the pilot was he freaks out.

Next episode he threatens to kill everyone in NERV if he isn't give. An answer why from Gendo. Thats powerful stuff.

Sure he doesn't attempt to punch Gendo like in the manga but c'mon what the he'll would he be thinking by not cuffing him like in the anime? Does he really think Shinji is that timid he wouldn't lunch is lights out? That's plot induced stupidity imo.

I'm confused why people think the Unit 03 incident was the worst thing that Gendo has done in the series. I mean, did Gendo really have another choice? His pilot refused to fight, what was he supposed to do?

@Demon God Of Chaos 02

What the he'll gave you that Idea. That's all fan rumors. Hideaki Anno had a more than adequate budget. The only reason the tv series ended the way it did was because the footage depicting the third impact wasn't appropriate for television at that time. Creator breakdown had nothing to with it.

Interestingly ep 25-26 transpire in Shinjis mind during third impact in End Of Evangelion.

@Kay4theday

Honestly, fans love to blow Gendos assholery out of proportion. To me he's just like Darcia from Wolf's Rain. A poor schmuck who lost everything and wants to make everyone miserable and wants reparations for being deprived of the warmth he lost.

edited 12th Jun '12 11:25:55 AM by Couchpotato20

Except for the fact that it was Creator Breakdown, and there's official art depicting a lot more angels other than the inital 17.

The whole series was Hideaki Anno's therapy sessions masquerading as a Humongous Mecha show, he even outright states this in some of the descriptions of the characters that they represent parts of his own psyche at the time.

Rebuild is the result of Hideaki Anno being more comfortable with himself thanks to his marraige, and being more accepting and tolerable of Otaku Culture and trying to bridge the gap that seperates it from regular people.

Hell, Studio Khara practically means Studio Joy.

That reeks of Fan Myopia; I could much more easily buy Asuka from Rebuild as mattering to Shinji than Toji from NGE. He was never more than a 'guy' from his class and he and Kensuke were only friends of Shinji because the show stated over and over that they were his friends. In Rebuild there were plenty of character interaction scenes between Shinji and Asuka to set up why he would care about this, and I think as a viewer I got more of an emotional response out of it. Your outright hatred of Shikinami strikes me as very unreasonable.

And another element that makes the fight really work is Rebuild's overall optimistic tone. In NGE it kinda gets hard to care about stuff due to the show's cyclical and fatalistic nature, the Unit-03 incident is just yet another time the universe decided to dump on Shinji. But because things were looking so up in the movie, it's much more effective that something bad will happen, and his anger at Gendo just feels more real and genuine.

edited 12th Jun '12 11:31:48 AM by Scherzo09

@Demon God Of Chaos

Okay, but thats merely a conjecture in your part. So images from the show are from his psyche. Everyone has their own dark images in the dark corners of their mind. Anno isn't the only one. There's no evidence only fan speculation. In the beginning of NGE original the show is rather upbeat. The show does it's psychological fuckery around the time it's darker. The same trend which all shows are doing nowadays. He'll even Dragon Ball went dark following a particular length of time.

Didn't he go on record saying he wouldn't make NGE the way it was if he was to do it again?

It's not really upbeat from the start. The show is drenched with Melancholy.

edited 12th Jun '12 11:37:27 AM by Scherzo09

It started pretty depressing, got a bit more cheery when Asuka joined the cast and went GRIM DARK downhill after Leliel (the shadow Angel) appeared.

edited 12th Jun '12 11:57:48 AM by kay4today

I always felt the 'cheer' and comedic elements were a bit sarcastic.

Still not as bad as Warhammer 40 K (Which was intentionally made to be so dark it's hilarious, anyhow).

edited 12th Jun '12 11:58:25 AM by Demongodofchaos2

And there is a fandom version that is so bright light it's hilarious

http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Brighthammer_40,000_(2nd_edition)