gatotsu911 wrote:#4 includes some of the most cynical, soulless shit ever in the series, particularly the CG fight scenes and fanservice (of both the sexual and narrative variety) but also has some of the most striking bits of raw expression since EoE, and the last 20-25 minutes are basically golden even if almost nothing with Mari works quite as well as Anno seems to think it does.
He's talked up that whole "I want to inspire people to rush outside and do something" vibe for years; and it's pretty clear that he wanted Mari to be the vehicle for that.
And I agree, he had the outline, and I like that outline, but he didn't quite connect the dots in a way I found satisfying.
Like Star Wars Episode 7, what made the film for me was a few character moments that felt like satisfying continuation/conclusions to their arcs. That alone made it worthwhile checking in.
Honestly though, kind of hoping the talk about in-between stories will evolve into this getting the Gundam Unicorn treatment; a TV series adaptation that offers more detail... and less cringe-inducing CG.