Reichu wrote:There is a difference between "canon" and "Gratuitous OOC Fanboy Service".

Shin-seiki wrote:The consensus around here is that [the RCB] is reliable, except, well, when it isn't... In other words, feel free to quote it to back up an argument, except for a very few inexplicable flubs where it is directly contradicted by the evidence of the show itself. The hierarchy of canonicity goes something like this:
1: What is said and shown in the series/movies. The New Production Cut and EoE are the "final" version, and thus supercede the broadcast version in canonicity, in any theoretical divergence between the two.
2: The words of Anno himself, and of other senior members of the NGE team at GAINAX.
3: Supplemental published sources officially sanctioned by GAINAX, such as the RCB, the various Newtype filmbooks, and the Cardass Masters card game, etc.
4: The manga by Sadamoto. The manga is basically canon only with reference to itself, but may be referenced in those areas where it offers more detailed info on subjects that the series is vague about, such as the background of SEELE, as long as it doesn't actually contradict the facts as presented in the series.
5: Least reliable is the stuff that ADV (or VIZ, for that matter) came up with that they put on the packaging and other promotional materials.

Reichu wrote:May as well bump this, while quoting the "hierarchy of canonicity" (is that a word?) that Shin-seiki typed up in a more recent thread:

tv33 wrote:If someone was going to like a show based solely on fan serves there are plenty of other show with about a million times as much. *cough*Najica*cough*