NGE and EoE, vs. Rebuilds 1 through 3...

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NGE and EoE, vs. Rebuilds 1 through 3...

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Postby YTPrenewed » Tue Mar 09, 2021 9:38 pm

...hey, that rhymes...

So I recently got around to watching the first 3 Rebuild of Evangelion movies in anticipation of the new one coming out. On the whole I'm pretty impressed, and I feel NGE couldn't replace Rebuild, but Rebuild couldn't replace NGE; they're each good in different ways.

And so, I felt I should pick at least one thing from each Rebuild movie I thought it did better than NGE, and another I thought it did worse, and I'd encourage others to do the same. Not for the sake of "balance" but for the sake of distinguishing what you think are their best and worst features, relative to NGE's, from what you think of the movies as a whole relative to NGE as a whole.


Rebuild 1:

Better: Shinji and Rei vs. Ramiel

SPOILER: Show
Something about Rebuild 1's crowd shots just drives home the stakes of the situation better than NGE's montage of city lights turning off ever could. Perhaps the latter might've felt more memorable to viewers before Earth Hour was a thing?


Worse: Misato and Shinji's discussions on whether he should continue piloting.

SPOILER: Show
In NGE there was an at least somewhat logical progression from the frustrated but semi-patient Misato arguing with Shinji over his people-pleaser tendencies early in episode 4, to her losing her patience with him later in the same episode. In Rebuild 1 she loses patience with him the first time, to the point of grabbing him and physically forcing him to stand up, even though you'd think someone being too much of people-pleaser would be a more sympathizable flaw than being, let's say, too little of one. Also, the meek and mild looking smile from NGE seemed far more consistent with said "people-pleaser" characterization than the smirk he showed in Rebuild 1.



Rebuild 2:

Better: Third Impact

SPOILER: Show
It was a tough call, because both were unforgettably bizarre apocalypse scenes with cutesy moments within them and an abundance of sappy music. But Rebuild 2's apocalypse music; and the subsequent credits song; have been replaying in my head for far longer already than EoE's did. (Hell, just today it played in my head again just from how the clouds looked during today's sunset.) Partly because the melody is even better in and of itself, but partly because sappy music seems to fit a little better with a motive like rescuing a love interest, without him even specifically being warned that the apocalypse could result, (and with his mentors not exactly being unanimous on whether to encourage him or discourage him; more on that later) than with rejection from some other love interest being the last straw that suddenly threw him even further into madness.


Worse: Shinji vs. Bardiel

SPOILER: Show
Shinji being reluctant to attack Bardiel, even in self-defense, because a fellow pilot was trapped in the other EVA, (even before he knew it was Toji) is actually pretty true to life. As people often point out in discussions about policing, soldiers in WW1 often missed the enemy on purpose; curiously I don't recall them mentioning that part in high school history classes. (Maybe I was absent that day.) So it bothered me to see the Rebuilds retcon it to Asuka being there instead of Toji. It left too open to interpretation whether he was angry because he was forced to give life-threatening injuries to a fellow EVA pilot, because said pilot was a friend, because said pilot was a girl, or specifically because said pilot happened to be a girl he was attracted to; or whatever explanation in between, when the first part would suffice and needs to be pointed out more often. Also, I'm not sure why, but sappy music just doesn't work as well with a beatdown scene as it does with an apocalypse scene. Not that it was as good as the apocalypse scene's music. And at least the original one's beatdown scene music was a reprise of the usual battle music.



Rebuild 3:

Better: The specifics on what the apocalpytic circumstances looked like.

SPOILER: Show
EoE showed a dark sky and crosses. Rebuild 3 showed a snowstorm giving way to a blue sky after a victory in a battle. Almost like it's a visual metaphor for hope amidst the ruins.


Worse: The portrayal of how Misato acts under said apocalyptic circumstances.

SPOILER: Show
EoE Misato was harsh, but fair, and had no qualms smiling at him between scoldings (after she was shot, after she sent him off, etc...) if that'd be more effective than scolding alone to motivate him in the right direction. Rebuild 3 Misato, after spending the ending of Rebuild 2 encouraging him, as his commanding officer and one of his mentors, (at the very least) to do what he did trying to save Rei, and therefore arguably being almost at fault as he was, nonetheless felt no need to explain to him her own share of the guilt for the events that led to her constantly scowling at him, refusing to accept any help from him, and even threatening to kill him if he continues to do the same things she used to encourage.
Last edited by YTPrenewed on Sat Mar 13, 2021 3:56 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: NGE and EoE, vs. Rebuilds 1 through 3...

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Postby Slowpokeking » Sat Mar 13, 2021 1:09 pm

NGE overall has a better characterization buildup.

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Re: NGE and EoE, vs. Rebuilds 1 through 3...

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Postby YTPrenewed » Sat Mar 13, 2021 4:06 pm

View Original PostSlowpokeking wrote:NGE overall has a better characterization buildup.

That much is inevitable when you have more runtime to spend on characterization.

But if you're referring to my point about Misato and Shinji's discussions in Rebuild 1,
SPOILER: Show
there were still at least two distinct conversations that mirrored their NGE counterparts, so even by that standard, I still find it a little odd the extent to which she lost patience with him in the first of those.

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Re: NGE and EoE, vs. Rebuilds 1 through 3...

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Postby Slowpokeking » Sat Mar 13, 2021 4:16 pm

View Original PostYTPrenewed wrote:
View Original PostSlowpokeking#915261 wrote:NGE overall has a better characterization buildup.

That much is inevitable when you have more runtime to spend on characterization.

But if you're referring to my point about Misato and Shinji's discussions in Rebuild 1,
SPOILER: Show
there were still at least two distinct conversations that mirrored their NGE counterparts, so even by that standard, I still find it a little odd the extent to which she lost patience with him in the first of those.

True, Misato's character was overall toned down from one of the female leads to a supporting role, especially since Q.


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