Anime News World - March 29, 2007 wrote: New Scoop on 'Rebuild'
When he said that he was going for a completely different angle this round, director Hideaki Anno really meant it. Studio Khara, the company behind Evangelion's new movie series, has leaked a new fact that may come as a shock to some fans: they're aiming for a "G" rating.
"I believe that Evangelion's message is one that should be conveyed to people of any age, and making Rebuild more accessible to as wide an audience as possible is, in my opinion, the best way to convey that message," Anno stated. "The drama that the previous series was known for will still be there, as will the psychological tension. However, I do not think it needs to be excessively violent or have gratuitous nudity to be effective. The previous movie, End of Evangelion, was very dark, violent, and shocking, and I'd like to go the other direction this time."
Japan's ratings system is somewhat similar to that of the United States: its ratings are G, PG, PG-12 (compare to America's PG-13), R-15 (America's R), and R-18 (America's NC-17). The previous movies, Death & Rebirth and End of Evangelion, were not given official ratings. The television version, however, was PG-12.
I'm not sure what to think of this. I keep feeling like this may ruin it... I don't mind taking it in a different direction, but if you completely invert the show's themes, it becomes the opposite of what it was. And if the show was great, it's the opposite of great. Ah well, I still have hope.