What if Eva was a generic action robot show?

[Combs]

If it was a generic robot acton show, by now we would have "the most original anime anyone's ever done". Someone would have
done a psychological delve into the mind of a mech piloting introvert by now.

[Synapsid]

Huh? It followed the generic super robot blue print pretty closely.

Um I supose it comes down to individual impressions, but TTGL really did seem to be a mash up of every high adventure and shonen archetype they could fit into a Gunbuster skeleton. I supose it's quite generic in that sence and since Gunbuster was one of Anno's formative works it might not be a totally invalid example.

[CyberXIII]

...and the Eva's could combine, what would the combined form look like?

Akebono Taro, Anno answered these questions long ago ;)

Bolded text means what?

[Synapsid]

It's Akebono of course (a Sumo if you don't want to look it up)
Unlike the Okita or Genji references there was an answer in the post: the textlink lead to a picsub for After the End, it's a satirical take on the cast trying to make EVA more palatable to mainstream audiences.

[cress20]

Yep the Drama tracks good. If you listen to whoever doing the Unit 1 sounds....He was crazy.

On the Generic Mecha series
I'd a thought Pen Pen would get a bigger role I think, and possibly play some role in defeating an angel.

Gendo would be just like that power rangers leader... a head in a tube

Toji would become Love hina's Keitaro Urashima

Fuyutsuki would hang about the shadows in lower parts of the Geofront spiting conspiracies to wandering pilots and probably own is own mech to Peer up in some battle scene, willy nilly.

I liked the artwork so I'd probably still watch it....

[Orphan Of Darkness]

If Eva was generic robot anime:
-I wouldnt have explored the anime industry as much as I have (probably for the better when I think about it)
-Hideaki Anno would spend more time on playgrounds doing hilarious hand motions
-Reichu would not have made that amazing/terrible Eva on Eva model and I wouldnt have fap'd while crying to it. I actually I just shook my head and laughed softly, but I did consider fap'ing and crying.

[LiLi]

Well, I always liked mecha/super robot shows...

So I guess I would have watched it anyway... well, once at least.

Hmmmm....

...and the Eva's could combine, what would the combined form look like?

Akebono Taro, Anno answered these questions long ago ;)

*high fives*

[Duskbyday]

If Eva was a generic robot show weouldn't have this forum.

[Bomby von Bombsville]

I wouldn't still be fixated on it

This.

It was hearing about Anno's motivations behind making the series that got me interested in Eva in the first place. If it weren't for the psychological aspect, I probably would've been bored by the narrative and annoyed by the budget constraints. The psychological aspects made it my favorite anime I've seen thus far.

[Evangelion__x]

Then I would have been, f-ck it.

[Adekis]

Anyone who says that Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is generic is obviously in need of a dictionary. There is certainly a difference between "generic" and "deconstruction of angsty shonen heroes." GaoGaiGar (for example) is, first and foremost, a super robot show. Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is, first and foremost, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, in much the same way that Neon Genesis Evangelion is, first and foremost, Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Evangelion, is undoubtedly more psychological, but please refrain from calling Gurren Lagann generic just because it's heroes believe in themselves and point to heaven.

More to the point, Evangelion, if generic:
*The Angels would be called Xeno-threats or something
*The Evas would not be called Evas
*Asuka would be Kazuya
*Rei would be... Reiji? Is that a boy's name?
*Shinji would still be a boy. He would, in fact, be more awesome. This is not really a good thing for us, though it is definitely a good thing for him.
*Kaworu would not be romantically linked to Shinji. He might, however, survive the show with only a bruise from getting punched.
*Super-Advanced Robot Saviors: Neon Genesis Mega-Lion!
*I would like the ending. I realize, however, that I am a minority in my dislike for EoE.

[Synapsid]

I wonder if the ATE plugsuits would have been common fare..

Anyone who says that Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is generic is obviously in need of a dictionary. There is certainly a difference between "generic" and "deconstruction of angsty shonen heroes." ...

Um, I'm sorry I certanly don't mean to offend, and I understand that words like "generic" are subjective, but from what I see TTGL very much follows Shonen viewers expectations, and it seems to strongly follow Bildungsroman and Shonen patterns: that is that the hero's mature, get stronger and ultimately triumph, that doesn't seem very novel to me. I suppose you could consider the fact that the show was Gunbuster with every sort of Shonen/action archetype thrown in to be novel, but I suppose that would sort of fall along the lines of weather you consider Lucas' analogue to be novel or not...sorry it's just my opinion

*Rei would be... Reiji? Is that a boy's name?

Yes, yes it is, and they've used it in some eva fics...And I really wouldn't like this macho Shinji at all, It's just my view though.

[Adekis]

...but from what I see TTGL very much follows Shonen viewers expectations...

Yes, and that's why it's a deconstruction. Because it starts out with Shinji Ikari, who goes way more emo than I think Shinji actually does (not that he should have. tch.) and then it could have turned into Eva part II: Gurren Lagann (now with even more depression!)... but Simon takes about two episodes, finds a girlfriend, and delivers the most awesome "He's Back" speech in history. Maybe I'm just really gullible, but I thought that was deconstructiong the "Shinji" archetype.

And I really wouldn't like this macho Shinji at all, It's just my view though.

Honestly? Me neither, 'cause he wouldn't be Shinji. He's be some other Robot Pilot. Like the Mazinger Z kid. And that's the point, it would be generic.

[Synapsid]

but Simon takes about two episodes, finds a girlfriend, and delivers the most awesome "He's Back" speech in history. Maybe I'm just really gullible, but I thought that was deconstructing the "Shinji" archetype.

...I don't know, that's hopelessness and recovery is somewhat typical in bildungsroman type work, it's not quite deconstruction if it's been the norm...It's during a down it's less common that the heroes don't recover and get systematically picked apart(that slow death gives a good look inside though). I guess it could be novel in the mash up in archetypes though...don't pay much heed to what I say though art is what ever you think it is.

[LiLi]

More to the point, Evangelion, if generic:
*The Angels would be called Xeno-threats or something
*The Evas would not be called Evas
*Asuka would be Kazuya
*Rei would be... Reiji? Is that a boy's name?
*Shinji would still be a boy. He would, in fact, be more awesome. This is not really a good thing for us, though it is definitely a good thing for him.
*Kaworu would not be romantically linked to Shinji. He might, however, survive the show with only a bruise from getting punched.
*Super-Advanced Robot Saviors: Neon Genesis Mega-G-Lion!
*I would like the ending. I realize, however, that I am a minority in my dislike for EoE.

I do think you need a token girl in there somewhere... Also, in the tradition of the honored Go Nagai Robot shows, I guess Rei could be the one who dies sacrificing his life in battle only to be replaced by an almost identical pilot... you could almost call him a clone...

Wait. Did NGE actually do just that? O.o

[SeanTucker]

More to the point, Evangelion, if generic:
*The Angels would be called Xeno-threats or something
*The Evas would not be called Evas
*Asuka would be Kazuya
*Rei would be... Reiji? Is that a boy's name?
*Shinji would still be a boy. He would, in fact, be more awesome. This is not really a good thing for us, though it is definitely a good thing for him.
*Kaworu would not be romantically linked to Shinji. He might, however, survive the show with only a bruise from getting punched.
*Super-Advanced Robot Saviors: Neon Genesis Mega-G-Lion!
*I would like the ending. I realize, however, that I am a minority in my dislike for EoE.

I do think you need a token girl in there somewhere... Also, in the tradition of the honored Go Nagai Robot shows, I guess Rei could be the one who dies sacrificing his life in battle only to be replaced by an almost identical pilot... you could almost call him a clone...

Wait. Did NGE actually do just that? O.o

Yeah, I think Rei was a pretty deliberate deconstruction of Musashi's character.

(Benkei >>>> Musashi imo, though... may just be because I got into Getter Robo with the New Getter OVA.)