A remake or a sequel?

[Joseph the PRPD]

I call BS on the sequel theory. The major flaw the original series had was that the story was not told coherently enough and was needlessly complex at times. I think the main purpose of Rebuild of Eva' is to address this flaw.

Thank you for addressing that! Now I can once again state in my opinion RoE is not a sequel!

[Reichu]

I call BS on the sequel theory. The major flaw the original series had was that the story was not told coherently enough and was needlessly complex at times. I think the main purpose of Rebuild of Eva' is to address this flaw.

Straightforward rewrites would suffice to address said flaw, as opposed to significantly changing the scenario and adding completely new elements as they appear to be doing. Khara isn't trying to "fix" the original; they're "rebuilding" it for the present day.

[Oedipusfoot]

Do you mean 'rebuilding it for the present day' in terms of animation quality and audience or do you mean something less literal?

[Sceleris]

Do you mean 'rebuilding it for the present day' in terms of animation quality and audience or do you mean something less literal?

Not to butt in or anything, but I'm guessing she's talking about the producers essentially wanting to (or at least saying they want to) use the basic story of Evangelion as a vehicle for conveying their new messages (about their philosophies of life and society) and as a tool for "reviving" the anime industry in a creative (and business related?) sense. But of course, making it a successful product also demands it being updated (and changed) visually and narratively.

[Reichu]

Do you mean 'rebuilding it for the present day' in terms of animation quality and audience or do you mean something less literal?

I'm far too lazy to quote the appropriate citations at the moment, but the points about contemporary audience, modern technology, and hoping to revive the anime industry are valid. "Revised philosophical vehicle" is likely correct, as well, though I don't think I've read that in print as such.

[Sceleris]

"Revised philosophical vehicle" is likely correct, as well, though I don't think I've read that in print as such.

The Statement. Quoting ANN:
"Many different desires are motivating us to create the new 'Evangelion' film. [...] The desire to support the strength of heart that exists in the world. [...] Specifically, among the stagnant mood of the present day, it is the portrayal of will - not technology - that is most important. [...] It is a story of will; a story of moving forward, if only just a little. [...] Although it seems obvious, we aim to create a form of entertainment [...] that produces a new understanding of the world."

In the general sense, I guess it's a theme of growing and developing ("advancing") as a person ("alone") in society ("not alone"), like in the old show. But there is bound to be some discernable differences, seeing how society and the lives of the producers themselves have changed. I look forward to seeing how the following movies will work. (More than just caring about the sci-fi topping.)

[Joseph the PRPD]

As much as I hate to say it this might be a sequel after all.
In the scene where Misato takes Shinji to see Lillith and she explains if the angels were to get to her Shinji then says "I've heard this before"

What can we make of that?

[Deathmask]

That's not what he meant.

Misato said "If you don't stop the Angels everything will be destroyed", or something along those lines. I'm sure he's heard that many times.

[mat smith]

In the scene where Misato takes Shinji to see Lillith and she explains if the angels were to get to her Shinji then says "I've heard this before"

What can we make of that?

Unless I'm looking at the wrong bit, or my subs are dodgy, the convo goes like this...

Misato - 15 years ago, the Second Impact tore the world in half. If the Angels are ever to repeat the Second Impact, Humanity would surely perish. Everyone.
Shinji - I've heard all this before...

I just thought that he's bored with hearing about how he has to save everyone.

[Sachi]

A true sequel would start off with Shinji and Asuka by the sea of LCL.

Anno would never do a clishe sequel like that. This is a sequel with a twist! [/sequeltheorysupporter]

In truth, Rebuild is only a way of rehashing the same story to feed the cash cow.

[Gendo'sPapa]

If Rebuild was a sequel than Asuka will be an Angel and Kaworu will be Shinji's new love interest....

Oh a million new fan fictions shall be launched.

[Joseph the PRPD]

If Rebuild was a sequel than Asuka will be an Angel and Kaworu will be Shinji's new love interest....

Oh a million new fan fictions shall be launched.

Dear God no...

[Reichu]

If Rebuild was a sequel than Asuka will be an Angel

I thought Shinji was the Angel...

[Annihilationscape]

In truth, Rebuild is only a way of rehashing the same story to feed the cash cow.

Ladies and gentlemen, your dose of Rebuild Pessimism for the day!

Seriously, though, I hope that does not prove to be true. I sincerely hope the end winds up being something nothing like EoE.

A re-imagining needs to differentiate itself from the original in some pretty dramatic ways in order to stand on its own.

[universalperson]

If Rebuild was a sequel than Asuka will be an Angel

I thought Shinji was the Angel...

No, see everyone is an Angel, except for the Angels.

[Reichu]

No. I'm like seriously. Shinji is the Angels. All of them.

Shinji Ikari waited. The lights above him blinked and sparked out of the air. There were Angels in the base. He didn't see them, but had expected them now for years. His warnings to Captein Katsuragi were not listenend to and now it was too late. Far too late for now, anyway.
Shinji was an EVA pilot for fourteen years. When he was young he watched the EVAs and he said to dad "I want to be in the EVA daddy."
Dad said "No! You will BE KILL BY ANGELS"
There was a time when he believed him. Then as he got oldered he stopped. But now in the Central Dogmas of NERV he knew there were Angels.
"This is Katsuragi" the radio crackered. "You must fight the Angels!"
So Shinji gotted his palsma rifle and blew up the wall.
"HE GOING TO KILL US" said the Angels
"I will shoot at him" said the cyberangel and he fired the rocket missiles. Shinji plasmaed at him and tried to blew him up. But then the ceiling fell and they were trapped and not able to kill.
"No! I must kill the Angels" he shouted
The radio said "No, Shinji. You are the Angels"
And then Shinji was a zombie.

[sedemihcrA]

Do you mean 'rebuilding it for the present day' in terms of animation quality and audience or do you mean something less literal?

I'm far too lazy to quote the appropriate citations at the moment, but the points about contemporary audience, modern technology, and hoping to revive the anime industry are valid. "Revised philosophical vehicle" is likely correct, as well, though I don't think I've read that in print as such.

Yes, this was my understanding as well.

It's been a long time since the creation of the original and I would argue, if only because of the changes that occurred as a result of its success and new life experiences of Anno, that the philosophical message will be conveyed differently.

I'm not even going to argue its necessarily going to be a different message, just that it will be explained to us in a different format.

I get the feeling that this is why there has been an emphasis on removing needless complexity; they are talking about revising the story to better fit their four film format.

Now how adding new main characters actually achieves any of that is hard to say. I personally think the story of the original series + movie is already far too big to tell effectively with only the original cast and ideas intact.

Maybe they will achieve some clever plotting to make this as moving as the original, but I'm still skeptical about the emotional 'umph' it is supposed to pack.

[Guyver Spawn]

I don't see how it can be a sequel when everyone was killed at the end of EoE? I recall Rebuild of Eva beging an re-telling telling of the orignal series then a sequel.

[Mr. Tines]

everyone was killed at the end of EoE?

But, like Asuka, they could get better.

Or it could even be a bit of recursive nesting inside Instrumentality -- yet another AU sequence.

[Sailor Star Dust]

Or it could even be a bit of recursive nesting inside Instrumentality -- yet another AU sequence.

Now that would be interesting if done right! Something like Instrumentality hadn't quite ended in EoTV/EoE time but does end in Rebuild... But again, the concept would need a lot of work to come across as making sense instead of just being lame.