Seperating Facts from Rumors in EoE

[cyharding]

If anyone thinks that this belongs in another subforum, please move it.

Lately, there has been a question on my mind, and it's more for the old timers who have been fans for a long time. I am wondering if from the time EoE was released in Japan until it's North American DVD release in late 2002, how much of the film's plot was known to western fans compared to a lot of the rumors and theories that were circulating around in the fandom?

I'm wondering because I know that EoE's Japanese release was when the internet was still in it's infancy when the fandom wasn't as connected with each other and the technology was as advanced as it was today such as the ability to translate Japanese to just about any langauge albet messily (I mean we knew what the plot of 3.0 in what I think was 8-12 hours after the first screenings). Also, how the movie was shown outside of Japan at the time would have been limited. Fansubs would not have been too common at the time (if I remember right, digital fansubs only came to prominance around the time EoE was released in North America, otherwise the only way was with VHS fansubs) and even with official screenings, there would have been no guarantee that a clear idea all th points would be known (not too long ago, I read a magazine article from the time of the film's US release where the author did not realize what Shinji was doing in the hospital scene due to the poor quality of the film print).

If there is an answer to my question or if there is something wrong with the points I made, I hope to hear about it.

[AR-99]

I'm one of these folks since EoE came out just before I started college and I had been a fan since high school. I believe I knew more facts than rumors. First semester of my freshman year one of the guys on my floor who was also a fan told me about Rei on top of Shinji with her hands sinking into his chest, who greeted who when instrumentality hit, and the ending.

From this point until the anime club screened EoE and D&R I believe I found out quite a bit online and I knew what to expect when both were screened. One of the folks at the club (I believe it was none other than Egan Loo) who had been able to see EoE in Japan described it as a "mindscrew".

[Quiddity]

Also, how the movie was shown outside of Japan at the time would have been limited. Fansubs would not have been too common at the time (if I remember right, digital fansubs only came to prominance around the time EoE was released in North America, otherwise the only way was with VHS fansubs) and even with official screenings, there would have been no guarantee that a clear idea all th points would be known (not too long ago, I read a magazine article from the time of the film's US release where the author did not realize what Shinji was doing in the hospital scene due to the poor quality of the film print).

Digital fansubs were available at least as early as early 2001 which is when I saw it; the DVDs didn't come out in the US until September 2002 I think? Quality was definitely an issue though.