gasoline238 wrote:

MAGI wrote:I'd like to see it start with a bang! :twisted:
I can't explain exactly why, but I don't like the approach being suggested, here.

It's like I'd always like to say: "If you're gonna do it, do it right!" :P

You're proving my point. For the love of God, open your mind a little.

You mean the point about being close-minded? No, I'm not being close-minded. I knew what it was that is the problem, it's just that I didn't feel like telling you why, just yet. (It was late at night at the time, and I was too tired to put to words.)
So here it is:

You say

g238 wrote:to test out the interest level before plunging headfirst

and I say

me wrote:I don't like the approach being suggested

because, we just want the real deal. "Just do it."

g238 wrote:The main reason for a miniseries isn't to get it away from Japan - it's to give a new perspective.

You basically said you wanted to "test" the waters, and also that

g238 wrote:the movies are still most important and take priority over any miniseries.

So if no one was interested in that US Branch mini, then, to the public eye, there's nothing left to Evangelion 'cos you've just blown your chance to get them to see the real thing.
How can you give them a "new perspective" if it was the first thing you've shown them?

I say

me wrote:start with a bang

(as in with a proper movie), not

g238 wrote:start with a miniseries

I had an interesting idea.

What if they start the film with the MP Eva battle scene of EoE. The battle scene would go on for a bit, offering a good "hook". Then the scene goes on like it did in the anime but stops mid way. You never get to see Asuka but you do get to see the battling evas. It ends with the word "Scheisse" (or insert what you want but it'd be interesting to hear the voice so you can connect it with her eventual arrival into the series) being uttered by Asuka and then "flash backs" to the start of the series.

That would definatly add an interesting twist to start the way the story is told.

You then cut to the first Angel attacking and the story continues like the anime did.

Yeah, I understand what you're saying, and I can agree with it. However, it's just that that style is quite different to Anno's style. It's all about how you tell the story.

The way Anno does it is never hint at what the future will bring. You never get to see anything that will happen. His style is saying: "you just don't know what's going to happen next, and I don't, either." His style is very objective, and sometimes documentary-like.
It adds tension and makes the audience think that much more. I really like that.
Dakara, I really hope certain aspects of Anno's style is preserved. :)

Besides, I really think showing the MP Evas is really really spoiling it.

Not to those who havn't seen it.

Anyone who even knows what they are will of already seen the entire series anyways. They explain and show the evas in episode 1 so they arn't really a suprise.

Anno's greatest work of artistry as far as Eva is concerned, in my opinion, is the character development. You can still leave a certain amount of mystery to it.

For one, those who havn't seen the series will not know what the MP evas are until the last movie. It will create a mystery as to what exactly that was all about.

You can still leave EoE with the open ending.

*shrug* It was just a random thought.

Yeah, but it would change the feel of End Of Evangelion. The audience, having waited, say three movie periods, would be getting all hyped about seeing the MP Evas, and it may or may not live up to their expectations. It also destracts the audience when they do see it.
In the original, Anno could shock his audience because no one could predict that he was going on a full-on blood-fest whilst playing Air on G at the same time.

I think the best saying for it is: "Less is more." 8)
Besides, the first appearance of Unit-01 when the lights flash on won't 'wow' the audience when it comes, and makes Shinji look weird going "It's a face! It's alive! Is that you, mom?"

Here I must agree with Magi. The element of shock was always one of Anno's most important tools.

You've got to remember that in terms of preserving the "mystery" of things, we do have millions of copies of the original series floating around for all to see. Granted, not everyone's going to go out and buy the series just because of a movie (because the series is so damn expensive), but I imagine that quite a few might. The relatively small percentage of America that forms the Eva fanbase could coalesce with the division of people who enjoy the movie enough to spoil it for themselves, thinking that surely the remake will offer something different enough for them to look forward to. The result? On a considerably smaller scale than the amount of people who have read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, you'll nonetheless have a similar situation. Even if you wanted to preserve the way Anno told his story, it would just be a matter of "how many minutes-movies until..."

While it's true than not enough people have seen Evangelion for the bulk of the film's viewing audience to know what to expect, the fact that's it's been around the block does present the situation that the egg is not quite so delicate as you want to put it. This isn't the first time Eva is going to come into the world, though it will be a first for many. I learned the entirety of the story before viewing it with only three minutes of research. It's not shrouded. It's not like the end of Empire Strikes Back. The surprises aren't that big.

Unless they're willing to diverge from what already exists not just visually, but narratively also.