Rebuild Of Evangelion

[FinalBeyond]

http://stage6.divx.com/user/killte/video/1413197/Evangelion-new-movie-preview

So, the first trailer is out for the first of four Eva movies, entitled "You are (not) alone", which I think is a brilliant title, especially with the Doctor Who link it holds... :p

Looks awesome, thus far. Looks like an enhanced version of the series, although I'm sure that with Kaworu in the movie poster, it's going to be quite different. Should be interesting to see what Anno can do with a new imagining.
(And I'm sure we'll see even more interesting theories on how it is in canon with the TV series, Directors Cuts, Movies, etc... :p)

With a 2007 release date in Japan, hopefully we won't have to wait too long for it over here.

[Just Jeans]

Too many versions of NGE floating around out there. I haven't seen the series itself yet, and they just keep throwing stuff in on top of it -- the first two films, the next four films, the ADV-planned $100 million (!) live-action film, the TV series with multiple versions on DVD...

I feel so lost.

[FinalBeyond]

Well, for now, the best plan to view Eva is:

- Platinum DVD series, which has the normal TV series, along with the Directors Cut episodes post-episode 20.
- The End Of Evangelion.

The first film, Death and Rebirth, is just a cut down summary of the series. The original non-DC series is vastly inferior, and not the original planned ending, due to Sega dropping their sponsorship of the series.
As for how this will affect the series, I'm not sure.
But the ADV live action film seems... Meh, to me.

[Alex DeLarge]

Too many versions of NGE floating around out there. I haven't seen the series itself yet, and they just keep throwing stuff in on top of it -- the first two films, the next four films, the ADV-planned $100 million (!) live-action film, the TV series with multiple versions on DVD...

I feel so lost.

What Final said. Eva is one story told through 26 episodes and one movie. And now we have a remake series of films (ADV film... WHAT ADV film..?;)). Basically, the Platnium version of the DVDs and a finale to those, the End of Evangelion are all you need. This is a remake series, a cool AU thing of how they'd do it now.

Plus, it's NOTHING compared to a TV series that ran from 1963 to 1989, a new series that started in 2005 and is still ongoing, an American TV movie, TWO making-of shows, an animated special on one of them, a Children in Need special, one spin-off pilot from the 1980s, a multiple season, 13-episode spin-off series on BBC3 (and a making-of show for that), a 10-episode spin-off seires on CBBC, the Virgin New Adventures which acted as the series from '91 to '97, the NAs that ran after that featuring Benny Summerfield, the Virgin Missing Adventures, the Eighth Doctor Adventures, the Past Doctor Adventures, the New Series Adventures, tons of annuals and storybooks, numerous short story anthologies from the Decalogues to the Short Trips, the Big Finish audios with the Fifth Doctor, the Big Finish audios with the Sixth Doctor, the Big Finish audios with the Seventh Doctor, TWO sets of Big Finish audios with the Eighth Doctor, TONS AND TONS of Big Finish spin-offs such as Gallifrey, Bernice Summerfield, the Companions series (I think it's called), the Unbound series and Sarah Jane Smith (and a few more I think) as well as many one-offs, the Telos novellas, the Time Hunter novels that spun-off from the Telos books, HUNDREDS of DWM comic strips, the strips that spun-off from that like Absolm Daak, Doctor Who Adventures and Battles in Time comic strips, the Target novelizations, and MANY, MANY, MANY things I'm forgetting. Those are just the ones off the top of my head. Eva doesn't seem so big now, huh?:p

[Just Jeans]

Which is why you can understand that I actively follow about 12% of what you've listed there -- I don't have the time, the energy, or the funding to go all-out. I also like how you've split some things up needlessly to make it more complicated, like the Big Finish Audios -- I'm surprised you didn't do that with the actual Televised series: The First Doctor TV Stories, The Second Doctor TV Stories, et cetera. :lmao:

As far as I'm concerned, it's three categories -- Doctor Who in Visual, Doctor Who in Audio, Doctor Who in Print. All three are their own thing, and the only one I bother with is Doctor Who in Visual, although I do make occasional exceptions for "...in Audio" and "...in Print".

Same thing applies for NGE, only on a much smaller scale. I've only ever been marginally interested -- I haven't seen it, so I can't be obsessed with how good it is based on second hand information -- and they're just making it even harder for me to find a starting point and stick with it.

I'll probably just get the Platinum Edition DVD of the series and end it with that. Unless The End of Evangelion is canon? I can never remember.

Mind you, I'd be thrilled if they'd revamp Ranma 1/2 in the same way they're doing with Rebuild of Evangelion, but that's only because the series as it stands ends on a really disappointing note and doesn't even get close to finishing out the manga. :cry:

[Alex DeLarge]

Well, "canon" doesn't really fit Eva. It's a bit like DW again, fans come up with their own canon. Basically, End of Evangelion is the original scripts for Episodes 25 and 26. They ran out of money and so they did a cheap version of 25 and 26, where 90% of the shots are reused from other episodes. Later, they got money and redid 25 and 26 as a film (the film even seperates them, it has "25" at the beginning and "26" in the middle). Whether the original 25/26 are canon or the film is up to you. Personally, I prefer EoE. The originals complete the theme but not the story (it has no story, it's just the characters saying monologues about the story's meaning). The movie does both.

Also, I seperated the Big Finish audios not to make it more complicated, but because unless I'm mistaken, they're seperate series. They didn't tell Second Doctor stories at the same time as they did First Doctor ones. To me, it sounded like they were 5 seperate "series" of DW audios, ones with each of the Doctor and two for the Eighth (his original ones and the BBC7 ones with Lucie Miller, which I love to bits). If I'm wrong, then I apologize.

[Just Jeans]

So I watch the TV series through to episode 24, then stop and watch End of Evangelion. Got it. (I might watch episode 25 and 26 at some point, but as it wasn't the original intention of the creator, I can do without them).

There is a main series and then spin-off work. There's nearly 100 stories in the main series, and they're all part of the same on-going series called "Doctor Who: The Big Finish Audio Adventures". There's spin-off franchises (Gallifrey, Dalek Empire, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Cybermen, UNIT, Unbound, Faction Paradox, The Bernice Summerfield Adventures, et cetera) but for the most part, all of the stories that focus on either the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh or Eighth Doctor are the same on-going series. So I suppose it does get complicated in the breakdown, but as I say -- I only listen to them occasionally, and only from the Main Series.

Big Finish also handles Sapphire and Steel, The Tomorrow People and (I think) The Quatermass Experiment.

The things on BBC7 are produced specifically for radio so they might be considered a different series, but then things have been changing over at Big Finish recently (I think Gary Russell left), so all of their formats are about to get altered.

[Alex DeLarge]

Gary Russell has indeed left (to become the new script editor on the new series since our Ms. Raynor has become a writer). Nicholas "Daleks/Cybermen/Judoon" is in charge of Big Finish now.

But anyway, that's the plan. You may as well watch 25/26. The only other episode on the last Platnium DVD is 24 and its Director's Cut (which of course IS my favorite episode of the series with my favorite one-off character ever so popular that he's being included in the first of these movies even though it's an adaptation of the first 6 episodes!) and so by not watching 'em, you're paying the same amount of money for ONE episode.

Granted there are special features and such, but they all suck. Commentaries from the ADV people on how brilliant their dub is, a documentary by the ADV people on what the series means (90% of them I disagree with: WTF? The entire series took place in Shinji's head? Nowhere does it even come CLOSE to even IMPLYING that! Matt Greenfield is an idiot.:p). The most interesting feature on the disc is the workprint. Every Platnium after the first has a workprint of an episode. Lower quality, storyboards used, no voice acting, etc. But interestingly enough, it has 10 minutes of the movie's workprint! I guess after Manga bought the rights to the film, ADV went in and snatched the rights for the unfinished product. It's a shame ADV didn't buy the movie rights too. In Japan, it got a Platnium DVD too, which Manga has yet to make...

And BBV does the Faction Paradox audios, not Big Finish I think. Lawrence Miles has mentioned them in his blog, including writing some of them and given how much he and Big Finish hate each other I can't see that happening... I think BBV does their audios (but I'm not sure).

[Just Jeans]

Lawrence Miles is a toll in a suit. I refuse to read the man's blog, and I refuse to listen to Faction Paradox. I just assumed it was Big Finish rather than BBV. My mistake.

[Alex DeLarge]

Lawrence Miles is... opinionated (most of which I do NOT agree with, mind). But I dunno what implies he's THAT bad of a guy!

[MiMania]

Manwards got me into the series back when he was still posting on the old board, though I never actually watched more than a few episodes.

I'm looking forward to the this, too, because its theme song (http://www.emimusic.jp/app/scripts/access.php?cid=foozay&id=foozay_audio&url=foozay/hikki/toct40120_01bw.wma) is being done by Hikaru Utada, and I like her a lot. <3

[Alex DeLarge]

Manwards got me into the series back when he was still posting on the old board, though I never actually watched more than a few episodes.

I'm looking forward to the this, too, because its theme song (http://www.emimusic.jp/app/scripts/access.php?cid=foozay&id=foozay_audio&url=foozay/hikki/toct40120_01bw.wma) is being done by Hikaru Utada, and I like her a lot. <3

She does the new version of "Fly Me" in the trailer. It's like, to keep bringing up DW in an Evangelion thread :p, "oil on water." Absolutely beautiful. Probably my favorite version of "Fly Me" EVER.

[MiMania]

Yeah, I noticed. The whole song was put on iTunes Japan recently, and it's quite nice. I definitely prefer it to her original cover.

[FinalBeyond]

This version of "Fly Me" is already the most popular J-Pop song on the English version of iTunes. :D

[MiMania]

There's a new trailer (http://youtube.com/watch?v=ql8bxKTzJME) out.

I think it's kind of weird that Asuka's not been shown in either trailer. =/ I thought Asuka was one of the main characters. Especially since she was one of the three Evangelion pilots.

Also, I reallyreally like the song they've used in this trailer. I have the full version and it's lovely.

[Scarecrow]

Asuka won't be in this.

It's based on the first six episodes, she'll show up in the sequel.


- Scarecrow

[Alex DeLarge]

It also means no Kaji-san!:cry:

Regardless, this new trailer is INCREDIBLE. SOOOOOO many new things and gorgeous scenes. The train scene with Rei! :eek: The BEAUTIFUL, new lighting and shading on old shots! :eek: KAWORU UPSIDE DOWN! :eek: *DIES*

[MiMania]

Asuka won't be in this.

It's based on the first six episodes, she'll show up in the sequel.

Ah, I didn't realize that. Thanks for the info!

[Burn]

Jeans; whatever the hell you do, don't just watch the films. A friend of mine decided to introduce both me and his girlfriend to Evangelion by showing us both of them back to back. The first is WAY too fast paced to work as a synopsis, it only really works to bring back memories if you've already seen the original series (which I still haven't done yet). EoE is naturally trippy, so needless to say I was somewhat confused by the end of the night.

That said and done, I'll be looking forward to checking these new films out when they're released.

[Alex DeLarge]

Jeans; whatever the hell you do, don't just watch the films. A friend of mine decided to introduce both me and his girlfriend to Evangelion by showing us both of them back to back. The first is WAY too fast paced to work as a synopsis, it only really works to bring back memories if you've already seen the original series (which I still haven't done yet). EoE is naturally trippy, so needless to say I was somewhat confused by the end of the night.

That said and done, I'll be looking forward to checking these new films out when they're released.

Well... yeah. The first film is a waste. It's basically a 40 minute long "Previously on..." like shows like Buffy have. Anyone who tries to get the Evangelion saga by watching the films first is going to be VERY confused. The first film was only made so the people of Japan could remember what happened by the time EoE came out. And trust me. If you watch the entire series (excluding the last two), episodes 1-20, then the Director Cuts of 21-24 as I did... EoE is the most rewarding experience I've ever went through.

[Scarecrow]

Damn straight.

It's a superb story, and that really is the definitive version.


- Scarecrow

[Alex DeLarge]

Damn straight.

It's a superb story, and that really is the definitive version.


- Scarecrow

To be honest, I think Rebuild might be the definitive version, depending on how it goes. They've had 10 years of hindsight, what worked, what didn't, they have the manga to look at and see what worked there. Add that to the GORGEOUS new animation and production values and I think Rebuild has the potential to be THE Eva story. But I will always love the original for nostalgia reasons...

[Scarecrow]

If Matriel isn't in it then it can't be definitive. :P


Seriously though, I don't think a new interpretation can really be definitive. It's a remake. A good remake,, made for a modern audeine. But they've alreayd promised an entirly new ending.

I dont think these new films are set to 'replace' the old show but are meant to go alongside it as a new version of the story. Just as the manga doens't replace the original or, say, the Thign remake or Halloween remake don't invalidate the original.


- Scarecrow

[Alex DeLarge]

Well, of course, but IMO, in terms of quality, I suspect it will surpass the original simply because they know what worked and what didn't and the animation quality. But we shall see...

[MiMania]

There are clips from the movie in the theme song's music video. You can watch 1:45 of it here (http://www.emimusic.jp/hikki/beautifulworld/index_j.htm).

[Scarecrow]

Well, of course, but IMO, in terms of quality, I suspect it will surpass the original simply because they know what worked and what didn't and the animation quality. But we shall see...

Well, yeah, but that goes without saying. A bigger budget and modern techniques, of course it will LOOK better and they'll obviously fine tune the story. But hey, there's no way of knowing which ending we'll prefer until we get there. For all we know this could be the uber-happy ending of SEELE and the Eva-series getting their asses kiled by all three Units. :p I doubt it though. ;)


- Scarecrow