Should've NGE been longer?

[Stryker]

Ultimately, I think so. It doesn't have to be that much longer (usually, the length of anime kills them), but still longer. This is because the relationships between the characters (I feel) could've been more developed (sure, they were/had friends, but I want to see a little more then just that, maybe the bridge bunnies get a little more involved with the pilots, hell, maybe contact between Gendo and Asuka would be interesting).

Sure, you might need a few more angels to best, but seeing how creative Gainax/Anno/someone got with their mythical beings, I'm sure it would take a little while before they got bland (The new ones in Rebuild... were too easy to kill). This could be also be a way for Gainax/Anno/someone to get more involved with their fan base (I have heard about that contest they held sometime ago with "Who could make the best angel?"). This could make fore some epic battles (and when I say epic, I mean Zeruel pops out of someones bum during the battle of Hakone (in EOE) epic) Also, more Fan-service. Jus-sayin'.

What do you think guys. Do you think NGE should've been a little more lengthy?

[thewayneiac]

No, there's too big a chance that we would have ended up with something like the "Island Episodes" of Nadia. I wouldn't care to see Pen Pen racing Mecha Pen Pen, or the characters all singing out the lyrics for an entire episode.

[Stryker]

Agreed, they would be pointless. But I bet they'd be funny as hell.

[TehDonutKing]

I'd like to seen more Kaworu, a Gendo Complimentation, more bridge bunmies, and more PenPen.

Sorry if this post is hard to read, my glasses are broken.

[Leighton]

Ultimately, I think so. It doesn't have to be that much longer (usually, the length of anime kills them), but still longer. This is because the relationships between the characters (I feel) could've been more developed (sure, they were/had friends, but I want to see a little more then just that, maybe the bridge bunnies get a little more involved with the pilots, hell, maybe contact between Gendo and Asuka would be interesting).

It COULD have been the low budget, but yea i personally, agree with more character development between the protagonists AND the bridge bunnies. Maybe as you said, some connection between Asuka and Gendo (because of A/S) could have been made. Nah i just want more Shinji/Asuka.

Sure, you might need a few more angels to best, but seeing how creative Gainax/Anno/someone got with their mythical beings, I'm sure it would take a little while before they got bland (The new ones in Rebuild... were too easy to kill). This could be also be a way for Gainax/Anno/someone to get more involved with their fan base (I have heard about that contest they held sometime ago with "Who could make the best angel?"). This could make fore some epic battles (and when I say epic, I mean Zeruel pops out of someones bum during the battle of Hakone (in EOE) epic) Also, more Fan-service. Jus-sayin'.

I honestly think the Mecha fights needed to be longer! As in more sword slashing and hand-to-hand kinda crap - i dont know something along those lines. But i guess the angels had no knowledge of such combat (maybe Sachiel). Basically more epic battles = fan-service.

On the other hand, its been done (anime wise), so i guess we fanwankers will have to grieve over that.

No, there's too big a chance that we would have ended up with something like the "Island Episodes" of Nadia. I wouldn't care to see Pen Pen racing Mecha Pen Pen, or the characters all singing out the lyrics for an entire episode.

Hm, i still think there was room for more development of the characters because of the ambiguity of the plot. I don't think they would've made filler episodes - in that case, every episode of NGE has some importance (even ep 7 - Shinji realises that he has the privilege to "see" Misato's personality). But thats just me cause i want more A/S

[BornIn1142]

In a perfect world, yes, I would want Evangelion to be longer. The series was nothing if not rich, and any number of plotlines or relationships could have been extended a lot further. But in this universe, with the constraints of budget, time and mental energy the staff had? I don't think it would have been workable.

[Mr. Tines]

the characters all singing out the lyrics for an entire episode.

Something like the "let's put on a musical" episode of Kurenai might have been amusing, but so at odds with even the comparatively light-hearted action arc.

[Azathoth]

I don't think another cour would have helped the show any. In fact I don't think any alterations to the pre-show planning would have helped the show any - what makes Eva isn't the fairly stock teenage-angst-illustrated-by-giant-robots tale they came up with ahead of time, but how the plan went all to hell and Anno's swelling neuroses exploded all over everyone.

If the show had ended as originally outlined in the proposal ("All mysteries are revealed," was it?) then I'm sure I could have survived 39 episodes. As it is, though...it is what it is. No real need to fuck with it.

[tomrule123]

To be honest... I think NGE's fine as it is. The story's well paced (for 26 episodes, it's not bad.), the characters were given a good amount of background info, and I don't think I could think of anything else that should make this series longer. Though there should be more character background (and why not?), but I think that would be knowing too much about the characters. Yet again, there's always the Manga version. That has the story and characters portrayed in a broader sense, so for those who want to explore NGE further can read the Manga.
As for Rebuild... yeah, that should've been an 8-film series... at least.

[Kendrix]

Something I dislike is when ppl say "Oh, this anime was cool, they should make more of it!" - A story's ending is crucial for its meaning
stuff that happened happens for a reason, and stuff that didn't happen didn't happen for a reason.
I think NGE is finely structured and has enough "breather"/"slowing down" moments for us to enjoy the characters before they were ripped to shreds. This is something EVA doesn't need more of.

[tomrule123]

Something I dislike is when ppl say "Oh, this anime was cool, they should make more of it!" - A story's ending is crucial for its meaning
stuff that happened happens for a reason, and stuff that didn't happen didn't happen for a reason.

I agree. This is why most sequels don't do well.

SPOILER: Show

(Yet it's too bad we can't continue "Cowboy Bebop". That should have been a 52-episode show.)

[rhfxz1s]

I think, in a theoretical world where NGE had unlimited time and budget, it could have been a few episodes longer and used the extra time to help fill in vague plot areas and further develop some characters and stuff. However, I really don't have any problem with how the 26 episodes turned out given the more realistic circumstances they were under.

[Jessemon]

I think, in a theoretical world where NGE had unlimited time and budget, it could have improved the quality of its animation.

Fix'd

While almost everything else is debatable, I think we can ALL agree that the overall quality of the animation in NGE could have been much better with the proper amount of time and budget.

[tomrule123]

I think we can ALL agree that the overall quality of the animation in NGE could have been much better with the proper amount of time and budget.

Pretty much what "Rebuild"'s purpose is about. ... WHY COULDN'T NGE GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME?! Oh well. What can we do?

[Kendrix]

I think, in a theoretical world where NGE had unlimited time and budget, it could have been a few episodes longer and used the extra time to help fill in vague plot areas and further develop some characters and stuff. However, I really don't have any problem with how the 26 episodes turned out given the more realistic circumstances they were under.

Tha "vague plot holes" are part of the magic. The manga is more steamlined and spells everything out... and has much less of a soul.

[Sachi]

Tha "vague plot holes" are part of the magic. The manga is more steamlined and spells everything out... and has much less of a soul.

This.

If anything, I'd prefer NGE to be a bit shorter, though not to the extent I would like FMA shortened.

[rhfxz1s]

Tha "vague plot holes" are part of the magic. The manga is more steamlined and spells everything out... and has much less of a soul.

I suppose. My complains are mainly involving the mechanics of Angels, seeds of life, etc, but the specifics of those really aren't that important to begin with. I'm totally okay with the rest of the vagueness.

[Rei Makes You Go Splat]

Tha "vague plot holes" are part of the magic. The manga is more steamlined and spells everything out... and has much less of a soul.

Indeed. The first time watching Evangelion is not so much as following a standard narrative where every aspect of the plot is easily discerned, but rather one purely visceral and emotional trip, like the first time you watch 2001.

[Hexon.Arq]

The only extension I could see being afforded would have been the stretching the Kaworu story over another episode, though rather than lengthening the series it would probably be more functional to push it forward by consolidating or eliminating events in the action arc (Magma Diver could have gone without too much complaint from me). The pacing of episode 24 always felt rushed to me and Shinji's attachment kind of forced, though it does provide a nice tense build of momentum toward the end--just a hair too much, I've always thought.

[Shogo-Kun]

The manga is more steamlined and spells everything out... and has much less of a soul.

I'm gonna have to disagree with this. I actually have Rebuild and the manga on a higher level of preference compared to the original series. As good as NGE was, it really suffered from all that ambiguity IMO. In my eyes, all it did was give way to the dreaded overanalyisis that, while interesting, kinda takes away from the show's message. The manga actually spells it out so there is no more room for faulty analyzation and misinterpratation. It was the one flaw that kept NGE from being an outstanding anime as opposed to just being very good in my eyes.

I think EVA could benefit from being longer. More clever enemies, more mechs and pilots, more development, more genre experimentation, higher quality animation, and of course MORE FANSERVICE!

Basically, a 50 episode version of Rebuild of Evangelion.