It feels so near but so far.

Hooded_Omar wrote:Sorry, my bad. They're being used for promotion on Amazon's website so I didn't think they counted as spoiler material.

Which is why you should always read the spoiler policy and not make assumptions about it. Different sites have different policies. For us, anything official released after March 8 is a spoiler, no exceptions.

Spoiler Policy wrote:1a. ALL 3.0 + 1.0 material after the Avant preview and all discussion about it as well as speculation about what lies beyond (if anything) goes in the 3.0 + 1.0 sub-forum. NO EXCEPTIONS. This includes the Evangelion 3.0 (-120 min) supplemental manga.

So Amazon US updated the 3.0+1.01 page and have changed the movie's rating from "All" to "16+".

Note that the current plan is to lift the spoiler rules after the weekend following the release. This gives people two weekends, or about ten days to watch before spoilers run free.

Been going through TV version for the first time in 20 odd years and it feels quite refreshing. I forgot how different the cast sounds compared to the Rebuild even though they are all same VAs. Also I can feel the TVA + budget restriction with how much still shots they have lol. Also the pacing is really great overall.
It also made me appreciate how great job the Rebuild has done in terms of some of the big setpiece fights like ramiel and sahaquiel that it makes the TV version of those fights (understandably) underwhelming in comparison.

Are you watching in Japanese with English subs or one of the dubs?

Japanese voice

I feel like Ogata, Mitsuishi, and Tachiki are the ones whose voices have noticeably changed between early NGE and Rebuild. Mitsuishi did note she was struggling to regain her youthful voice for Misato in 1.0/2.0 and was glad when 3.0 allowed her to use her "default" adult voice.

Miyamura also said she struggled to voice Asuka in NTE. However, her passion for the character is so strong that this is barely noticeable. It's clear that she truly did her absolute best and that's awesome!
Also, she had to tweak Asuka's voice twice in a row. Shikinami is fundamentally a different character than Soryu. Because of it, she was instructed to perform a bit differently in HA. When Q came along, she reinvent herself yet again (going for a "bounty hunter", mature style).
Asuka was a character no one was afraid to experiment with in NTE.

Hooded_Omar wrote:So Amazon US updated the 3.0+1.01 page and have changed the movie's rating from "All" to "16+".

I'm guessing not to confuse parents into letting their kids watch something that has blood and death

Yeah, but I find it strange that 1.0, for example, is rated PG-13 (according to this: https://www.filmratings.com/Search?filmTitle=evangelion&x=0&y=0) while 3.0+1.01 is 16+.

Some film industry folks - this the screenwriter of the Nicolas Cage masterpiece MANDY - and some film critics - I know one of Collider's critics saw it - were given access to the film today. Presumably I would expect US sites to start running their reviews within the week. Hopefully they're smart enough to not go full spoiler.

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Hooded_Omar wrote:Are you watching in Japanese with English subs or one of the dubs?

Speaking of English dubs - I left a comment on a recent vids on Spike Spencer's channel along the lines of "Here's hoping you're doing a role in that thing on Amazon in a couple of weeks".

Reply from Spike: "Here's hopin'!"

Compare with how open the ADV/Funi voice cast were with the whole Netflix thing.

Gendo'sPapa wrote:Presumably I would expect US sites to start running their reviews within the week. Hopefully they're smart enough to not go full spoiler.

Poygon put up a review "published in accordance with the studio’s review embargo" earlier today. I don't think there's any spoiler but I won't link it - it's easy enough to find.

do everything in your power to make sure the world doesn’t end before August 13th so you can see it

I legitimately love this bit. That's exactly what I've been trying to do for months! I must stay alive until Shin comes out! This is my ultimate goal! lol

Do these critics have access to any of the dubs or only Japanese audio with Eng subs? Cuz if they do have access, couldn't they tell us about the English cast?

Gathering some reviews from today:

"An uneven but genuinely thrilling and moving mess with its heart in the right place. The Rebuild of Evangelion movies finally culminate in the appropriately convoluted and gratifyingly peaceful Thrice Upon a Time."
- Gretchen Felker-Martin of Fanbyte

"EVANGELION 3.0+1.0: THRICE UPON A TIME is my favorite film of 2021 so far. It’s dense with text and subtext, it’s deeply moving, and its got really damn good horrifying giant android action."
- Justin Harrison of The Spool

"Evangelion 1.0+3.0 Thrice Upon a Time isn’t just a fitting end to the new films, but to Evangelion as a whole and Anno Hideaki's relationship to it."
- Siddhant Adlakha of Polygon

(TLed from Portuguese) "Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: The Hope is an ending that echoes motifs from the original series and also from the masterpiece The End of Evangelion, but now, firmly nailing a conclusion."
- Leonardo 'Kitsune' Camargo of NerdBunker (THIS ONE HAS SPOILERS)

Seems like the CGI usage and fanservice are the primary gripes for the film which isn't new, but these are all positive reviews.

IGN Brasil seems to have full review with score of 9.5/10. Didn't actually read the review itself so not sure if it contains spoilers or not.

Be aware - the Fanbyte review has minor spoilers for characters, setting and a couple of minor plot points that you definately won't know about unless you've read leaks or seen leaked footage.

xenosaga wrote:IGN Brasil seems to have full review with score of 9.5/10. Didn't actually read the review itself so not sure if it contains spoilers or not.

I got spoiled, or rather decided to read spoilers, on Day One - or rather a few hours before day one due to that accessibility app script leak - I'd be happy to be a spoiler buffer if people want to post up or PM me links to check

Hooded_Omar wrote:Do these critics have access to any of the dubs or only Japanese audio with Eng subs? Cuz if they do have access, couldn't they tell us about the English cast?

The Polygon review only namechecked the Japanese cast so either they are only being shown the subbed version or are told to keep the identities of dub cast members under wraps. Why the secrecy I have no idea. Maybe they don't want a repeat of the Netflix debacle.

It's spoiler free.

IGN Brasil wrote:AMAZING
Unafraid to dare, the movie is Evangelion at its best. A possible mark of Japanese animation, it's a more than worthy conclusion to the whole saga.

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GhostlyOcam wrote:(TLed from Portuguese) "Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: The Hope is an ending that echoes motifs from the original series and also from the masterpiece The End of Evangelion, but now, firmly nailing a conclusion."
- Leonardo 'Kitsune' Camargo of NerdBunker (THIS ONE HAS SPOILERS)

Leo Kitsune is an Eva fanboy, he knows very well what he is talking about and has a vast knowledge of the franchise. It's thanks to him that I'm into in Evangelion.

Hooded_Omar wrote:Yeah, but I find it strange that 1.0, for example, is rated PG-13 (according to this: https://www.filmratings.com/Search?filmTitle=evangelion&x=0&y=0) while 3.0+1.01 is 16+.

Not really? Amazon rated the movie 16+ based on their own ratings guidelines while 1.0 was rated by the official MPAA as PG-13. Funimation only sent the first movie to the ratings system and gave 2.0 and 3.0 TV-14 ratings because any content provider was allowed to use those and they have the same "rate it based on your own guidelines" system too.

If Funimation released the movie here they'd have probably given it a TV-14 rating too. It all just depends on who's rating it and why.

BTW Netflix gave EoE a TV-14 rating so that should show how subjective this is.

Newsweek out here giving Anno a run for his money in silly naming conventions.

I don't know about you but I personally am more excited for Evangelion 3.03.01+1.01 Thrice Upon A Time than I am Evangelion 3.03.0+1.01 Thrice Upon A Time. How about yourselves?

https://www.newsweek.com/where-evangelion-3-03-01-01-thrice-upon-time-fits-neon-genesis-evangelion-franchise-1615566