Now, as some may have guessed from my review of main NGE, I was a bit of a victim of Hype Backlash. Way too much grimdark and angst for my tastes, although still very well-written.

Rebuild has the right amount of grimdark and angst.

(Oh, beware of spoilers.)

OH MY GOD, THIS IS THE GREATEST (anime) MOVIE I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE!!! Seriously, it is. Rebuild is the first anime to make it into my top five films/film series, coming in at a handsome #4. Right below The Matrix, Serenity, and The Lord Of The Rings (OBVIOUS NERD IS OBVIOUS). I had two major problems with NGE: Too much angst, and the low quality due to the low budget. Rebuild has much less angst and has... a much higher budget. It is so very, very pretty. Is the High Octane Nightmare Fuel still there? Oh yes. I am largely immune to such imagery; although the scene with Unit 01 attacking Unit 03 went from creepy to TERRIFYING.

As for the rewritten characters: There are still a lot of similarities. The thing is? They are all much, much... SANER. Also nicer (except maybe Gendo). Shinji's massive list of complexes? Well, he has the requisite daddy issues, but otherwise is rather stable. Asuka is actually a Tsundere instead of a female Jerk Ass; she has a few deredere moments throughout 2.0. Rei is... well, she is TEH REI; very little changed, very little needed to. Kaworu? He actually has an important part... in 3.0, if the trailers are to be believed. The new girl, Mari Makinami, had very little screen time, and since she was not in the original anime, I have nothing to base an opinion. Here is to hoping for more Character Development in 3.0 and Final.

With the decreased angst, sane cast, and bigger animation budget... I liked the changes, as much as Internet Backdraft disagrees. While I am not a hardcore Eva fan, I did watch the series... if you liked the series, but thought it was too angsty, give Rebuild a look. All in all? There are two more movies. DO WANT.

One thing that Just Bugs Me: No Cruel Angel's Thesis? You've had two movies, Anno. I want my Crowning Music Of Awesome.