The final Evangelion film of the Rebuild series releases in Japan in March 8, 2021.

BrawlMan

Lover of beat'em ups.
Legacy
Mar 10, 2016
27,025
11,325
118
Detroit, Michigan
Country
United States of America
Gender
Male
I was definitely one of those american early adopters of anime back in the 80s and 90s, but I never really got into NGE. I'm one of those crazy people ranting on corners about how Giant Robo deserved NGE's popularity and people pass quickly not knowing what I'm talking about. I just hated Shinji so much and found him totally unrealistic as a human being. I finally sat down and rewatched the updated series a couple years ago and like it for the most part. Watched the two after movies and these recent remakes. I'm kinda looking forward to this but I'll be damned if I even remember where it left off with how long it's been in between these movies. I guess I'm one of those lucky few with no real expectations.
I first NGE on adult_swim back in the mid 2000s (06-07). Not worth staying up late for I tell you that.
 

Gordon_4

The Big Engine
Legacy
Apr 3, 2020
6,116
5,406
118
Australia
I was definitely one of those american early adopters of anime back in the 80s and 90s, but I never really got into NGE. I'm one of those crazy people ranting on corners about how Giant Robo deserved NGE's popularity and people pass quickly not knowing what I'm talking about. I just hated Shinji so much and found him totally unrealistic as a human being. I finally sat down and rewatched the updated series a couple years ago and like it for the most part. Watched the two after movies and these recent remakes. I'm kinda looking forward to this but I'll be damned if I even remember where it left off with how long it's been in between these movies. I guess I'm one of those lucky few with no real expectations.
The thing I find with Shinji is, opinion of him as a realistic character depends on many factors. He’d be a complete wet blanket in a super robot series or other Shonen genre story. But Evangelion isn’t that kind of movie, bruv. Looked at through a lens as close to reality as the show allows; it’s a minor miracle it takes him as long as it does to get to stage of contemplating suicide. There’s zero competent emotional support available to him or his colleagues (by design in fact), their training never visibly progresses past sitting in the test plugs and doing sync testing: which to be fair since the Angels are so.....odd, would make most training redundant. But they never do combined manoeuvres with and against each other, no arms training bar one scene at the beginning, no resilience training. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Again this is all by design because his dad and the mad Cabal he’s plotting both with and against are playing an absurd game of 5D Chess with their preferred flavour of Armageddon as the prize.

So yeah, being an unwitting pawn in those kinds of power games and a day job piloting a barely controlled eldritch beast whose pain you feel, to fight even worse creatures from beyond the stars and a primary caretaker who is a sexually irresponsible alcoholic and a roommate who’s an abuser on a hair trigger does not make for a happy Shinji.


God I think too much about this show.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dalisclock

Dalisclock

Making lemons combustible again
Legacy
Escapist +
Feb 9, 2008
11,245
7,023
118
A Barrel In the Marketplace
Country
Eagleland
Gender
Male
The thing I find with Shinji is, opinion of him as a realistic character depends on many factors. He’d be a complete wet blanket in a super robot series or other Shonen genre story. But Evangelion isn’t that kind of movie, bruv. Looked at through a lens as close to reality as the show allows; it’s a minor miracle it takes him as long as it does to get to stage of contemplating suicide. There’s zero competent emotional support available to him or his colleagues (by design in fact), their training never visibly progresses past sitting in the test plugs and doing sync testing: which to be fair since the Angels are so.....odd, would make most training redundant. But they never do combined manoeuvres with and against each other, no arms training bar one scene at the beginning, no resilience training. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Again this is all by design because his dad and the mad Cabal he’s plotting both with and against are playing an absurd game of 5D Chess with their preferred flavour of Armageddon as the prize.

So yeah, being an unwitting pawn in those kinds of power games and a day job piloting a barely controlled eldritch beast whose pain you feel, to fight even worse creatures from beyond the stars and a primary caretaker who is a sexually irresponsible alcoholic and a roommate who’s an abuser on a hair trigger does not make for a happy Shinji.


God I think too much about this show.
I've made the comment on these forums before "Does Japan not believe in psych evaluations?" because these kids are desperately in need of constant monitoring and therapy and they get....."GET IN THE ROBOT and FACE THE TERRIFYING COSMIC HORROR! Also, if you fuck up once EVERYONE DIES!". Nope, Can't see how that would end up with the kids losing their fucking shit. :rolleyes:

I mean, they're fucking 14. There are mature adults who suffer from PTSD and end up not being able to hold down jobs from serving in a conventional warzone, but somehow these kids are expected to work miracles and then get blamed for showing weakness and cracking under the intense pressure of it all. I mean, maybe that's the point, because use of child soldiers is inhumane, war breaks people and your command not giving a fucking shit about you as long as the mission gets accomplished is pretty fucking standard. Soldiers are heroes until the moment they're discarded and told "good luck. Have fun adjusting to the terrible things you've seen and done." I have no doubt Anno knows this.
 

Gordon_4

The Big Engine
Legacy
Apr 3, 2020
6,116
5,406
118
Australia
I've made the comment on these forums before "Does Japan not believe in psych evaluations?" because these kids are desperately in need of constant monitoring and therapy and they get....."GET IN THE ROBOT and FACE THE TERRIFYING COSMIC HORROR! Also, if you fuck up once EVERYONE DIES!". Nope, Can't see how that would end up with the kids losing their fucking shit. :rolleyes:

I mean, they're fucking 14. There are mature adults who suffer from PTSD and end up not being able to hold down jobs from serving in a conventional warzone, but somehow these kids are expected to work miracles and then get blamed for showing weakness and cracking under the intense pressure of it all. I mean, maybe that's the point, because use of child soldiers is inhumane, war breaks people and your command not giving a fucking shit about you as long as the mission gets accomplished is pretty fucking standard. Soldiers are heroes until the moment they're discarded and told "good luck. Have fun adjusting to the terrible things you've seen and done." I have no doubt Anno knows this.
If I’m honest, especially back in the 90s when it was made, Japan’s mental health services would not qualify as robust and likely had massive social stigmas around them. I mean individuals can and have been very sympathetic - there’s a former policeman who quit after one too many suicides of young people who now spends his days wandering the cliffs that young people jumped from to convince them not to - but that’s after 20 years of (probably minimal) social change later. In a society post a disaster like Second Impact......well it could go either way. But again remember in-universe the lack of these support systems is a deliberate measure to keep them as pliable and puppet like as possible.



Tokyo 3 could have the finest mental health professionals and facilities on the planet but it matters for naught when the ugly spectre of obstructionist bureaucracy backed national security concerns orchestrated by a mad cabal of zealots are the inmates running the asylum.
 

Samtemdo8

Elite Member
Legacy
Apr 25, 2020
1,501
608
118
Country
Private
I have read the entire Plot Synopsis of this movie on EvaGeeks which has the most detailed synopsis.

To avoid spoilers all I can say with confidence that yes, I truly think this movie is the best possible finale for this entire franchise after what I just read.

It does have that feeling of closure, and its not a End of Evangelion level like depressing ending. Heck I think I'd argue this is the closest to a happy ending I've seen from Evangelion without it being too cheesy. Nothing like suddenly everyone is alive and loves each other and throws a party.

The slightest spoiler I can give is this The world has changed by the end of this and for the better

So yeah I'm looking forward when this movie comes out all over the world, hopefully on Netflix along with the Rebuild movies later this year. Especially since certain details I've read in the plot synopsis are things that have to be seen first hand with our own eyes.
 

Chimpzy

Simian Abomination
Legacy
Escapist +
Apr 3, 2020
12,273
8,543
118
I spoiled my response only for you to spoil it.

Oh well.

Original Series + End of Evangelion implied it to be Shinji x Asuka

Manga all but stated it was Shinji x Rei

So I guess the Rebuild belongs to Mari.
Ok fine, spoilered then. Reluctantly. Kind of feeling malicious tonight, so spoiling people on their favorite gal not being the one to perhaps throw Shinji a very disappointing pity fuck at some point actually seems like a good time.
 

Samtemdo8

Elite Member
Legacy
Apr 25, 2020
1,501
608
118
Country
Private
Ok fine, spoilered then. Reluctantly. Kind of feeling malicious tonight, so spoiling people on their favorite gal not being the one to perhaps throw Shinji a very disappointing pity fuck at some point actually seems like a good time.
All I can say is the ship is real but Shinji didn't get laid throughout the movie. Hell the closet thing he ever did got laid was with Rei in the Primordial Soup in EOE.
 

Chimpzy

Simian Abomination
Legacy
Escapist +
Apr 3, 2020
12,273
8,543
118
All I can say is the ship is real but Shinji didn't get laid throughout the movie. Hell the closet thing he ever did got laid was with Rei in the Primordial Soup in EOE.
As much as anime loves its sexual humor and fan service, actual sex is rather rare outside of hentai, so no, of course he doesn't. I meant it more like at some unshown point in the future. Like if it had an x years late type epilogue (maybe it does, I dunno), they'd imply it by showing a small Shinji with the girl's hair color or somesuch.
 

Burnhardt

Elite Member
Legacy
Feb 13, 2009
160
33
33
Country
United Kingdom
Gender
Does it really matter?
I've made the comment on these forums before "Does Japan not believe in psych evaluations?" because these kids are desperately in need of constant monitoring and therapy and they get....."GET IN THE ROBOT and FACE THE TERRIFYING COSMIC HORROR! Also, if you fuck up once EVERYONE DIES!". Nope, Can't see how that would end up with the kids losing their fucking shit. :rolleyes:

I mean, they're fucking 14. There are mature adults who suffer from PTSD and end up not being able to hold down jobs from serving in a conventional warzone, but somehow these kids are expected to work miracles and then get blamed for showing weakness and cracking under the intense pressure of it all. I mean, maybe that's the point, because use of child soldiers is inhumane, war breaks people and your command not giving a fucking shit about you as long as the mission gets accomplished is pretty fucking standard. Soldiers are heroes until the moment they're discarded and told "good luck. Have fun adjusting to the terrible things you've seen and done." I have no doubt Anno knows this.
This is one of the best counter arguments to the standard criticisms that Evangelion tends to get that I've read.

Unfortunately you are applying real world logic to fictional entertainment. And people generally don't want to see that kind of realism in their entertainment.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dalisclock

Dalisclock

Making lemons combustible again
Legacy
Escapist +
Feb 9, 2008
11,245
7,023
118
A Barrel In the Marketplace
Country
Eagleland
Gender
Male
This is one of the best counter arguments to the standard criticisms that Evangelion tends to get that I've read.

Unfortunately you are applying real world logic to fictional entertainment. And people generally don't want to see that kind of realism in their entertainment.
That is one of angles of criticism I've seen of the series, from people who see it as a "Giant Robot fighting Kaiju" anime, when it feels like it's actually a subversion/deconstruction of that. And I'm not saying the show is flawless by any means(it's got plenty of reasons to dislike it), but if someone criticism is "Shinji should shut up because piloting robots is cool" then that person obviously missed the point.
 

BrawlMan

Lover of beat'em ups.
Legacy
Mar 10, 2016
27,025
11,325
118
Detroit, Michigan
Country
United States of America
Gender
Male
That is one of angles of criticism I've seen of the series, from people who see it as a "Giant Robot fighting Kaiju" anime, when it feels like it's actually a subversion/deconstruction of that. And I'm not saying the show is flawless by any means(it's got plenty of reasons to dislike it), but if someone criticism is "Shinji should shut up because piloting robots is cool" then that person obviously missed the point.
If you thought Eva was bad or obnoxious, wait until you see all the clones that came out in the mid to late nineties and early 2000s. The majority of them are not good and even more boring, painful, and wasteful to watch. Thank Christ Gurren Laggan put a cork in that shit. Now if only it's ending was actually good.
 
Last edited:

Samtemdo8

Elite Member
Legacy
Apr 25, 2020
1,501
608
118
Country
Private
If you thought Eva was bad or obnoxious, wait until you see all the clones that came out in the mid to late nineties and early 2000s. The majority of them are not good and even more boring, painful, and wasteful to watch. Think Christ Gurren Laggan put a cork in that shit. Now if only it's ending was actually good.
Evangelion is to Mecha the same as Watchmen is to Superheroes.
 

BrawlMan

Lover of beat'em ups.
Legacy
Mar 10, 2016
27,025
11,325
118
Detroit, Michigan
Country
United States of America
Gender
Male
......A bit too broad a stroke huh?
Nope. you must have forgotten that there were a lot of games in the 7th generation that tried to copy either re4, Gears, COD 4, or all three. Mostly the early games in 2008 and 2009. And that's not getting into everyone else copying quick time events from RE4 or God of War.
 
Last edited:

Samtemdo8

Elite Member
Legacy
Apr 25, 2020
1,501
608
118
Country
Private
Nope. you must have forgotten that there were a lot of games in the 7th generation that tried to copy either re4, Gears, COD 4, for all three. Mostly the early games in 2008 and 2009. And that's not getting into everyone else copying quick time events from RE4 or God of War.
Oh I remember, but still a bit too broad a stroke.
 

TheMysteriousGX

Elite Member
Legacy
Sep 16, 2014
8,337
6,845
118
Country
United States
Evangelion is to Mecha the same as Watchmen is to Superheroes.
I'ma piggy back off that and throw Madoka on the pile. Seems like Dark Magical Girl Shows outnumber actual magical girl shows these days and they're all edgy shit. And Madoka was barely much different than a standard magical girl show.