Rebuilds being a continuation of EoE?

[Pathetic.]

I came across someone who said they believed the rebuilds are a continuation of the main series. I asked them to explain it to me but the explanation was more about passive-aggressively insulting me than the actual theory. I was wondering if anyone could explain the theory to me, or give me a link to a page explaining it. Thanks in advance.

[pwhodges]

You need to search for "Sequel Theory" and the related "[Time]Loop Theory". Here are a couple of threads from this forum to get you started:

https://forum.evageeks.org/thread/6022/A-remake-or-a-sequel/
https://forum.evageeks.org/thread/13212/Sequel-theory-once-again/

But I think you'll find sequel theory is well out of favour with those who have looked at the films in more than a cursory manner.

[eldomtom2]

A sequel in the traditional sense, probably not. But the titles of the final Rebuild film all but confirm some sort of connection to the original series.

[Pathetic.]

Thank you!

[pwhodges]

A sequel in the traditional sense, probably not. But the titles of the final Rebuild film all but confirm some sort of connection to the original series.

"3.0 + 1.0" seems to me to indicate a development from the preceding films, as you'd expect. What in the title do you think shows a relationship to the series?

[eldomtom2]

The original series spells "Evangelion" as "エヴァンゲリオン". The Rebuilds spell it as "ヱヴァンゲリヲン", but with 3.0+1.0 it's back to "エヴァンゲリオン". The title has also gone from "Evangelion New Theatrical Version" to "Shin (specifically not the kanji for "new") Evangelion Theatrical Version". And if it was just a straightforward continuation from 3.33, why not call it 4.0? There is undoubtedly something going on.

[pwhodges]

4 is an unlucky number in that region, I believe (like 13 in many other areas).

[eldomtom2]

I somehow doubt it's enough of an unlucky number to not use it in the title of a numerical sequel. And that's ignoring the rest of the evidence.

[BlueBasilisk]

4 is an unlucky number in that region, I believe (like 13 in many other areas).

Eva-fan had a video speculating that it's called that because the movie will end the current "old" Evangelion and also start a new one. "Evangelion 3.0 + Shin Evangelion 1.0" essentially.

[Reichu]

the current "old" Evangelion

I wonder if it means anything here that the "Wevangeliwon" spelling uses a couple of archaic katakana... In a manner of speaking, by returning to "Evangelion" after using "Wevangeliwon", the title is being "re-modernized".

[BlueBasilisk]

^I could see that. Do any of the other Eva properties or spin-offs besides NME use the Wevangeliwon spelling?

3.0's ending provided a nice set up to start over, just further in the future. Eva is a story that repeats. :P

[JohnRaney]

Realize I'm late to this, but...
I explain my thoughts on this quite a bit here:
thread/19811/Evangelions-5-part-Structure/

I think the main Eva merchandise are all sequels, but less in a direct "Eva 2" kind of way and more in an abstract, fractured sense, which is perfectly in keeping with the series' post-modern and mystical ideas on the subjective nature of truth. Each one is a different view on the same story, revealing different aspects, but each one builds on previous iterations both literally and thematically.

[Keiji]

Realize I'm late to this, but...
I explain my thoughts on this quite a bit here:
thread/19811/Evangelions-5-part-Structure/

I think the main Eva merchandise are all sequels, but less in a direct "Eva 2" kind of way and more in an abstract, fractured sense, which is perfectly in keeping with the series' post-modern and mystical ideas on the subjective nature of truth. Each one is a different view on the same story, revealing different aspects, but each one builds on previous iterations both literally and thematically.

That is well thought.

I thought it was kind of official that Rebuild was a sequel since what Kaworu said in the first movie You Are (Not) Alone, something like "You are the third again, you will never change".

Excuse my english.

[JohnRaney]

Thank you!

And your English is fine.

[cathpeti47]

The original series spells "Evangelion" as "エヴァンゲリオン". The Rebuilds spell it as "ヱヴァンゲリヲン", but with 3.0+1.0 it's back to "エヴァンゲリオン". The title has also gone from "Evangelion New Theatrical Version" assurance décès to "Shin (specifically not the kanji for "new") Evangelion Theatrical Version". And if it was just a straightforward continuation from 3.33, why not call it 4.0? There is undoubtedly something going on.

Me I opt for the next 4 because it is obviously the logical continuation of the series.

[thewayneiac]

Maybe it's as simple as 3.0 + 1.0 = 4.0.

[Melkor]

I always assumed that the reason it was called 3.0 + 1.0 instead of 4.0 was because of how the number four is considered to be very unlucky in Japan and a lot of other East Asian cultures, due to how similar it sounds to the word for death. Tetraphobia is so extreme in Japan that people will even go out of their way to avoid having phone numbers and addresses with the number four in them, and buildings would often skip the fourth floor, similar to how in the West buildings would skip the thirteenth floor. When it comes to fiction, authors and directors will go to some creative lengths to avoid calling something the fourth installment of a series. Calling it Shin Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 could just be a fancy way of avoiding using the number four in the title.

[Reichu]

Don't we have a topic specifically for the number stuff?

thread/16702/The-Eva-3010-Title/