So like, what does Thrice Upon a Time actually mean?

[Archer]

Watching the movie never particularly elucidated the title for me. If you put a gun to my head, I’d say it’s referring to the (IRL) time periods of NGE, the Rebuilds, and the (IRL) world after the “main story” of Evangelion has finally ended (because I’m not kidding myself into believing that fluff spin-offs aren’t coming in the future, and I am fucking ready for it) but I don’t know if I’m fully satisfied with that explanation.

[RussianRiz]

It's the third ending in the franchise. EoTV, EoE and Shin Eva. I don't think Anno and staff are counting the manga.

[T. K. Simon]

It's the third ending in the franchise. EoTV, EoE and Shin Eva. I don't think Anno and staff are counting the manga.

Yes

[pwhodges]

It's also a quote - the title of a science fiction book:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrice_Upon_a_Time

It's the third ending in the franchise. EoTV, EoE and Shin Eva. I don't think Anno and staff are counting the manga.

Or are counting the NGE endings as one and including the manga...

[Archer]

It's the third ending in the franchise. EoTV, EoE and Shin Eva. I don't think Anno and staff are counting the manga.

Lol, that almost seems a bit too easy to be satisfying. But I also find it difficult to argue with. This is undoubtedly the third “end of Evangelion”.

Also, I know the origin of the phrase, but I’m asking about how it specifically relates to the movie.

[evaunit13]

I initially thought that the first two endings would be EoE and the manga, respectively, considering EoE is arguably a retelling of the TV ending.

However, Anno explicitly states in this interview that the TV ending and EoE are, in his mind, the first two endings: https://youtu.be/r_ksOBT7wYg?t=323

On a meta level, the manga couldn't count because it wasn't Anno's ending.

[Konja7]

Or are counting the NGE endings as one and including the manga...

It's extremely difficult that Anno is considering the manga, since he isn't involved in the manga.

This is Anno's apparent farewell, so it makes sense for him to focus on his work.

[Diego]

I initially thought that the first two endings would be EoE and the manga, respectively, considering EoE is arguably a retelling of the TV ending.

However, Anno explicitly states in this interview that the TV ending and EoE are, in his mind, the first two endings: https://youtu.be/r_ksOBT7wYg?t=323

On a meta level, the manga couldn't count because it wasn't Anno's ending.

The interview pretty much confirms Russian's theory.

[Kendrix]

It's the third ending in the franchise. EoTV, EoE and Shin Eva. I don't think Anno and staff are counting the manga.

this

[Archer]

So, to add on to this, what the hell does “3.0+1.0” actually mean?

[Ah Q]

It's the third ending in the franchise. EoTV, EoE and Shin Eva. I don't think Anno and staff are counting the manga.

I agree with this.

Just throwing this out there: if this interpretation is correct, does it imply that EoTV and EoE are entirely different endings, rather than different tellings of the same ending?

[Lacissal]

Anno ramming the Wunder like Misato right into Concurrency Theory there

[RussianRiz]

Just throwing this out there: if this interpretation is correct, does it imply that EoTV and EoE are entirely different endings, rather than different tellings of the same ending?

I don't think we need to go that far.

The fact is that EoE is the second time that Anno has completed his work, right after the end of the anime. Not that it discredits the concurrency between the endings, but, basically, they're still different media.

[evaunit13]

So, to add on to this, what the hell does “3.0+1.0” actually mean?

It's a numeral analog to the jo-ha-kyu structure that resolves with a return to the origin. From Donald Richie's "A Tractate on Japanese Aesthetics" (p. 65):

The introduction jo is (in music and in drama) to be of a slow but free rhythm; the exposition in ha is to be in the establishing rhythm; the kyu is the rhythmic climax, relatively fast, followed by a final return to the jo tempo.

The return is further mirrored in the ":||" repeat sign in the title.

Judging by the production notes and interviews and the changes to improve continuity in 3.333 (e.g. making sure the Wille mark is visible on Kaji's downed helicopter, Asuka's redesigned plugsuit), NTE is really a three-part story that happened to be split into four films.

[Archer]

Thanks for that explanation. That makes sense. I definitely see it as a 3-part story that’s been somewhat restricted by its chosen medium/release format, since 2.0 clearly needed more breathing room and 3.0/3.0+1.0 are very clearly Part 1 and Part 2 of the final act.

[eldomtom2]

Just throwing this out there: if this interpretation is correct, does it imply that EoTV and EoE are entirely different endings, rather than different tellings of the same ending?

They always have been, but this site is very good at denying stuff it doesn’t like.

[pwhodges]

Just throwing this out there: if this interpretation is correct, does it imply that EoTV and EoE are entirely different endings, rather than different tellings of the same ending?

They always have been, but this site is very good at denying stuff it doesn’t like.

As an argument, that is no more powerful than saying "They have always been different presentations of the same ending, but some people are very good at not seeing that."

Try explaining what the actual difference is (but maybe not so much in this thread - there are already plenty on the subject).

[The_Max]

What does Thrice Upon a Time actually mean? Easy...

Shinji, GET OUT OF THE ROBOT!

[eldomtom2]

Try explaining what the actual difference is (but maybe not so much in this thread - there are already plenty on the subject).

I feel little desire to post the same information that will continue to be ignored as it doesn't fit with people's preferred theories.