Since we are being unrealistic in our desires for the last Rebuild movie here:
- some answers about what happened in the time gap. Specifically, who survived and how? There were several comments and allusions to everything being destroyed, but Misato's organization seems to have thousands of people on board. If they're mostly citizens, how did they know to join her, how did she get so well organized, and how has this giant group of people with plenty of stolen tech allowed Gendo to live all this time (this one I will let slide as its Eva and if one starts questioning the narrative aspects, you end up questioning everything and focusing on Eva's weaknesses - which I think we all had hoped Rebuild would focus on and fix).

- what IS Misato's end game now? Will we ever get clarity on what drives her as a character, or will she continue to be a shell of who she was in the show/EoE? I just don't want to see more of what we saw in Q, where every character is suddenly acting opposite of how we knew them to, simply because the plot requires them to act that way.

- some answers or clarity about what exactly is going on? And I do mean generally speaking - wtf is happening in this story now? Eva was always vague about its own narrative, especially Nerv, Seele and their mystical speak about even more vague religious references.... But wasn't this an aspect that Rebuild was supposed to avoid entirely (a la being more accessible?). <edit: removed to stay more on track>

- some answers or clarity about all the side plots that have been developed in Q but never really addressed in any manner in the actual movie

- some idea of what happened between Misato and Co and Gendo / Nerv?

- while I'm at it, what exactly has Gendo been up to for the past 10 plus years and what was his plan had Shinji not coincidentally shown up (and please just stop with the "according to plan" shit - if Gendo has super human powers to see the future with somewhat reliable accuracy then at least explain it through some plot point).

- is anyone at Neo Nerv now or is it literally just Gendo and his apparently brainless, soul-crushed, nearly free will-less, slightly mutineering minion butler? Are we to just go along with Gendo having everything automated (with no Magi system) or has he literally learned everything that's involved in creating new Eva Units and design of weapons and everything else?

- what's going on?!?!? Honestly, I'd just like to see the final film come out and resolve the things that a good narrative always resolves. If he wants to leave some things out so the audience can take away their own meaning or ending (like EoE), that's fine, but you can't raise all the additional questions in the 3rd movie - a time where good stories start resolving questions and mysteries from the first half of the story - and then just hope one more film can tie up everything from the 3 movies before it. We are going to either need another film or dozens of minutes of exposition just to get back on track.

I just don't see how all of these questions and the dozens of others I'm surely missing can be resolved in one more movie. I can't be alone in this belief? Surely the thought must have crossed others' minds that Anno has given up on Rebuild for now, having no idea how to resolve the series in s way that ties everything up (a real possibility given his creating style) in one movie's length? After watching Q, it's hard not to get the feeling that Anno made a shit ton of revisions on the fly and didn't have his own end game planned, but just wanted to create more interest and buzz by going off the wall again, and now he's stuck without any possible way to resolve everything in one movie

Chainer3000 wrote:Arguably, Rebuild is less accessible and almost requires past and multiple viewings of the show/EoE to even follow along somewhat.

That's not arguable, that's flat out wrong

For the first two movies I would agree with you - it was much more accessible. After Q, though, I feel like viewers of only rebuild would be super thrown off, especially because they don't have the same knowledge of the characters that fans of the show do. But hell, I'll concede the point / scratch that out as its off topic and not meant to be the focus of my post.

Knowing how the characters are portrayed in NGE in no way affects the understanding of the characters in Q

We may not get the why of Nerv and so on, because that is of minor interest in comparison with how the characters cope with the outcome.

Reichu wrote:I'll take another "kimochi warui", but if you're talking like what's in Nadia -- oh dear gods, no.

I don't think I can handle another "kimochi warui" in my life time. That scene was in the back of my head for so many damn years....I just can't lol. I've never seen Nadia before actually. I should get on that. I dunno I just want to be pandered to, at least a lil bit, in an epilogue this time around.

I feel quite strongly that there should be a dramatic scene toward the end of the film where Shinji returns to NERV, heads straight for the remnants of Gendo's office, confronts his father one last time, face to face and finally...

BC Baron wrote:I feel quite strongly that there should be a dramatic scene toward the end of the film where Shinji returns to NERV, heads straight for the remnants of Gendo's office, confronts his father one last time, face to face and finally...

SPOILER: Show

DEMANDS the fourteen years worth of backpay that they still owe him, damnit!

Gendo takes a moment to consider the request, adjusts his visor, moves to sit behind his desk, resumes his classic pose, with folded, white-gloved hands strategically placed to partially conceal his expression and, just as he is about to refuse, Professor Fuyutsuki silently walks up to Shiji and hands him a check.

Prof Fuyutsuki: There. Full payment for all services rendered. Now, please leave this place and never return. (Shinji bows and exits stage left)

Gendo: Still the same bleeding heart liberal as always, I see. Of course, you do realize that a corresponding amount will be reallocated from your pension plan to cover such an unauthorized expenditure.

Prof Fuyutsuki: I would expect nothing less. Think he'll live long enough to spend it?

Gendo: No matter. Despite your vulgar displays of charity, everything is unfolding -

Prof Fuyutsuki: Don't you dare say it.

Gendo: According to pl...


Suddenly the ceiling right above Gendo's desk completely caves in, killing him instantly. Fuyutsuki was primed and ready to inquire (albeit rhetorically) as to whether his former student had actually foreseen this particular turn of events, when he noticed a ghostly image of the former First Child hovering just above the crushed corpse.

Rei: What are you looking at? I hope you don't expect me to clean up this mess.

Cue up techno remix version of Beautiful World

End Credits

What's Shinji going to spend all that money on? It's like, the end of the world. Everyone's dead, there's no one to buy shit from, well I guess he could buy WILLE's love since they're still adamant on treating him like shit for no reason.

TheFriskyIan wrote:What's Shinji going to spend all that money on? It's like, the end of the world. Everyone's dead, there's no one to buy shit from, well I guess he could buy WILLE's love since they're still adamant on treating him like shit for no reason.

You mean he will become WILLE's fuckboy stress reliever like in that one doujin? :P

^There are some out there that Asuka and Mari just flat out rape Shinji. Intriguing , but Highly Disturbing.

The one I've seen strongly implied that Shinji took role equivalent of a prostitue for the whole crew.

TheFriskyIan wrote:What's Shinji going to spend all that money on? It's like, the end of the world. Everyone's dead, there's no one to buy shit from...

C'mon, man, like everything else that makes no sense in Rebuild, it can be hand-waved away as symbolism.

It's not really about the monetary units, per se, but more to do with the principles involved; pound of flesh kind of stuff. Personally, I'd like to see Shinji stand up for himself and deliver a speech listing all the reasons somebody else sucks before it's all over, as opposed to just allowing anyone to strap explosives onto him whenever they feel like it. If he really is being presented with the end of the world, then the grudgematch between WILLE and NERV truly is pointless, and this is just as good a place to draw a line in the sand as anywhere.

This was mostly an attempt at some irreverent artistic license, as well as searching for ironic, anti-climactic ways to kill off Gendo in Final. I considered dropping that piano on him, but it seemed too obvious. Also:

BC Baron wrote:deliver a speech listing all the reasons somebody else sucks before it's all over, as opposed to just allowing anyone to strap explosives onto him whenever they feel like it.

The way you're always going on about this, it's like you honestly wouldn't be jumping to strap explosives onto somebody after learning that they could cause the end of the world as easily as caring too much about the wrong thing. But something about the vibe you give off -- maybe it's the whole "pardon X character unconditionally while condemning Y character with the wrath of a thousand Jehovahs, no in-between" thing -- makes me find this just a little unlikely.

Actually I had yet another idea for a "3+1 vignette" that I was considering posting, since I was kinda having some fun writing them, but it seems like nobody is enjoying reading them. Suffice it to say that it involved a scene in which Asuka, ReiQ, and Shinji are continuing their journey through the wilderness from the end of the last film, when they suddenly stumble upon a rag-tag fugitive group of survivors led by a now bespectacled, but still strapping, thirty-year old Touji. Basically, they all have a nice chat, but by the end of the conversation, Shinji decides to accept Mr. Suzuhara's generous offer to join their ranks. Rei and Asuka weren't invited, so they continue on their merry way.

How did Touji snap Shinji out of his former 3.33 funk and convince him to follow this new path? Well, when Shinji asked Touji why he wasn't by his sister's side with WILLE, Touji reveals that he was for a while, but departed soon thereafter because, as he so eloquently put it,

"When management started taking fashion tips from terrorists, I figured it was the universe's way of telling me to jump ship and try being my own boss instead."


Y'know I always thought Touji was a pretty decent guy, which probably explains why he plays such a small role in Rebuild. In any case, it's probably for the best; this scene would've taken forever for me to write. (drops mic)

(comes back and picks up mic)

Testing, Uno, Two...

Boston Strong.

Thank you. (respectfully places microphone back on stand; leaves stage; turns off the lights)

Gendo winning at last.

Signer wrote:Gendo winning at last.

I want it to be revealed that Gendo was a good guy all along, and that now that Seele has been dealt with, Gendo will actively be working toward his version of Instrumentality in the hopes that it will save humanity (giving them a perfect fantasy to live in). Shinji may at first be tempted by this, but after learning his lessons, he'll ultimately choose real life over Gendo's paradise.

Sachi wrote:I want it to be revealed that Gendo was a good guy all along, and that now that Seele has been dealt with, Gendo will actively be working toward his version of Instrumentality in the hopes that it will save humanity

Wasn't it was what they did already with Fuyutsuki's lines?

Some everyday life scenes of the Wunder crew, so we can get a little attached to them, we got some glimpse of the dynamics of the Command Bridge crew, I want to see more, 'cause for the moment they can all die horribly that I wouldn't give a shit about it, except Sakura.

^

Oh don't you worry. You will get a glorious justification of their actions and and showcase of how noble heroes they are and the point of how selfish and narrow minded Shinji is for not seeing this, will be driven even further :P

I don't know, in contrast to others, Anno never promoted easily questionable ethics - even "don't run away" was "because it would be worse", not because it is wrong to feel good.