[Anime] New Evangelion Movies!

You know, when someone sent me this link, I rolled my eyes at the news.

But then I had to read the link 4 times afterwards to discover that this isn't regarding the live movie (which is still going?).

I honestly thought that after years of merchandise milking, a torrent of comedy shows and the undying love of fans worldwide that an honest to God new animation of Evangelion would never, ever happen.

Suffice to say, I'm shocked. And of course I am nearly shaking with the prospect of this. Evangelion was and still is the absolute best anime series of all time, but it's more than that; it remains one of the most influential media I have ever witnessed in my life.

BUT, I still need some more information (and some pictures). The wording sort of makes it sound like it will be something new. There might not even be a Shinji, Asuka, Rei or Misato in this version. Gainax isn't one for consistency (Gunbuster 2).

But, I will be waiting just like the rest of you for more news.

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While the new story will be set during the same time frame as the original TV series

This could mean a number of things. It could focus on a group of people who witnessed the Angel attacks but weren't directly involved. It could even mean that it takes place thousands(?) of years after the End of Evangelion with a newly re-populated earth.

Or maybe, just maybe, this will be an alternate story taking place after the TV series, since the End was never really labeled as an official ending, but an alternate take.

A sequel that doesn't involve

Spoiler:

a giant Rei, Asuka being eaten alive, and Shinji doing something other than laying around while everyone around him dies?

Damn, that would be sweet.

EDIT-00: Actually, what would be much sweeter is starting the series from scratch and make it closer to the manga, which I always found to be better written than the TV series (more backstory on secondary characters, a less whiny Shinji, a less bitchy Asuka, a slightly more evil Kaworu, etc).

EDIT-01: Newtype Scans

EDIT-02: Spoiler-tagged humongous scans

Spoiler:

The group shot is likely just made for the magazine, not an actual shot of the new movie. At least I hope that's the case, since the art style is a little cuter than what I remember. If they're going to be serious with this, I want an update to the designs.

How about the debut of Freckles Asuka?

Spoiler:

EDIT-03:

Quote:

Records have also been circulating. According to that information:
-The content is quite different though the time base of the story is the same as the original TV series.
- It will be a remake, however, it is not a re-creation but a "new work".
- The approach will be different than what Tomino-san did with the Gundam Z New Translation films, there will apparantly be a large amount of new material.
- Even if the TV series has not be seen, the viewer will be able to enjoy it. Though the content becomes easy, it is not redundant to those already familiar with the series.
- The technique that purposely scatters difficult words and phrases will not be used any longer.
- As an antithesis to current animation industry segments, it is an attitude on the production side to pull the act in the age that started from Eva.

-toonzone.net

My rage will know no bounds if this is just another milking of the original series with new footage tossed in. I don't want to see a single frame from that show used again. God, Gainax, don't milk it AGAIN.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by Qwarky

Not only Sadamoto's NGE manga (which I think is still being released), but also Girlfriend of Steel 2 (now Angelic Days under license), which I loved, and the Shinji Ikusei Keikaku manga (based on the PC/DC game of the same name), which was very fun too.

The official manga is still going because Sadamoto is moving very, very slowly with the series. And I'm dying to see if he'll end the series the same way as the movie, or venture toward something completely different (this has been a source of speculation for quite a while).

Originally Posted by Qwarky

I rather like the "new" style, but if things get grimly serious like in the original series, the cute style will clash more shockingly

I'm still not certain if the artwork found in the Newtype is actual art for the movies, but I'm hoping it isn't. For a massive project like this, it feels a bit lazy to simply re-use the old designs and make them "cuter".

Remember how the cosplay, fan-art, and doujin community exploded when we were first given the redesigns for FFVII? Imagine that times two (or even three) if the same thing was done for Shinji and company. Redesigns are all the rage these days, and I would love an update for the characters, even if it was just to resemble Sadamoto's art style more.

Originally Posted by Qwarky

They could have officially endorsed Re-Take if it weren't for the graphic sex scenes, I guess. It has more than enough plot and skillful narration to match the bext of Gainax.

I stumbled upon Re-Take once, thinking it was just a typical hentai doujin. But then I *gasp* actually read some of it, and found out it was a serious doujin. Anyone have any direct links of the chapters?

Quote:

I wonder though if they'll go with a more traditional style or if they'll do it in their crazy weirdo style like Top wo Nerae 2 and FLCL.

The latter choice is my greatest fear right now. I have no desire to see Fooly Coolyvangelion. I don't want them to do something weird or absurd just for the hell of it. If they're going to be serious with this "revival" then they'd better play it straight.

The decision to remove the sporadic flashes of text (at least that's the rumor) is a good one. It was interesting the first couple of times we got into Shinji's head, but it got played out when they based the entire second half of EoE with it. The text flashes were mostly a coverup to save money anyway, and...

Originally Posted by AcerBandit

Hopefully they won't run out of ink this time. ='D

With all the money they've been making with merchandise, I expect the production vaules to be nothing but astronomical. Then again, the fact that they signed on four movies at once should be a good indication of the budget (as long as those movies are over an hour and a half each; anything less might as well be an OVA).

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This is totally fantastic and utterly unexpected. I honestly don't give a shit if it's "milking the franchise"

They were milking it with the countless model kits, dating sims, re-released DVD's, and lifesize pillows. For the first time in years they're doing something notable with the series.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

They even did a soundtrack for it? Damn. Yes, I'll take whatever you got. If things go sour, Re-Take may prove more entertaining than the actual movies. :/

EDIT: Here is Re-Take 1-3.

http://rapidshare.de/files/32455413/Re-Take.rar.html

EDIT: Here's Re-Take 0 (read this after chapter 3).

http://rapidshare.de/files/32456582/...AKE_0.zip.html

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Man, that Re-Take doujin is something else. At one point it feels like typical fanfiction (Shinji using Unit-01 to a level beyond what was shown in the anime, having an underage marriage to Asuka with no one protesting, etc), but the art style is so fantastic it almost feels official. It's also incredibly depressing, which should be the norm for EVA fans, but the romance in this book is handled extremely well. I'd almost wish that Gainax would make it official, save for two criticisms.

1. The sex scenes feel pointless. Sure, they're integral to the story, but wasn't necessary to show all the details. Showing Shinji pound his surprisingly large entry plug into Asuka's AT Field (I tried) isn't some sort of visual symbolism, it's just to attract the hentai crowd who would obviously be too bored with all the text to begin with. And you can't possibly expect me to believe that Shinji's first time would go so smoothly. Where did he learn moves like that?

2. I found Rei's reactions and decisions to Shinji and Asuka's consumation a bit out of character. It's true that it was meant to be creepy, and we really don't know how Rei would react to rejection, but I don't think she'd go that far.

I went and edited/removed all the sex scenes and most of the nudity out of the chapters so my sister could read them. I can send the edited chapters for anyone who prefers to read the stories hentai-free.

I was speaking idiomatically.

That is awesome. I was starting to dread the thought of waiting to see how this ends.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I'll upload the soundtrack for you. Should be ready around half and hour or so.

EDIT: On second thought, more like 260 minutes. :/

FELIPE NO

Well, I'll still have the rapidshare link ready when it finishes, although it's taking a bit longer than I thought (30% right now). I even stopped my torrent for Ace Combat 5 to free up bandwith.

The soundtrack itself is decent enough, but it didn't have that Evangelion feel to it. Sure, it's stupid of me to expect a sweeping orchestra from a fan-made soundtrack, but it definetley could've used more romantic piano songs and the such.

Because when you get down to it, the whole Re-Take series is a romance doujin, and quite a fantastic one at that. Even for a fan-made work, this feels like an accurate portrayal of how things would have gone for Shinji and Asuka if he expressed his feelings before things got really bad in the series. The series wanted to focus on the kids' personal conflicts by the later half, but I always felt it would've been more effective to show what would happen if those young fools fell in love (you want controversy? try underage pregnancy).

I read the finale last night, and honestly, I came quite close to crying. The one part that really got to me was

Spoiler:

the scene where an older Shinji goes drinking with Misato, and imparts the knowledge and confidence that she once gave to him.

I thought the final part of the ending was a bit of a cop-out, even though it's something you'd expect from Evangelion. I really wish they just stuck with the previous ending scenario.

In the end, despite the pointless sex (with the exception of a couple of scenes, most of it was explicit just for the sake of it. Since when did Unit-05 have a penis to begin with?), and some hokey plot twists (a fistfight between two characters you'd never dream of; imagine that one South Park episode where the chinese singer signs up for The Contender, and you'll have the right idea), this was basically the way most fans of EVA wanted things to end; Shinji stands up to protect the people he loves, Gendoh gets his comupance, and Rei chooses her friends over her "father".

It's fanfiction, but it's also beautifully drawn, beautifully written fanfiction.

I'm with the majority who want Gainax to at least emulate some of this doujin for one of its upcoming movies. End of Evangelion did something bold with its unhappy ending and character assasination of Shinji, but I think people have been traumatized long enough, and it's about time Gainax showed the alternative.

As J. Johan Jameson once said in Ultimate Spiderman; "People want to read about a good guy and a bad guy."

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Here's the Re-Take Soundtrack.

http://rapidshare.de/files/32553901/...track.rar.html

Originally Posted by Lacerta

Spoiler:

The little girl is their child that somehow managed to defy the laws of reality (hay this is Eva) and appear there >=0

Although it is more likely that it is just some random survivor that managed to stumble upon them, but a guy can dream =|~

I considered that too, but...

Spoiler:

the problem is it doesn't resemble their child at all. For one thing, it looked like their baby was a boy, and it also liked looked like the hair was light and curly.

The other problem is that the child shown in the ending is years older than the baby, so it doesn't make much since why he/she would appear that way.

My guess is that's either the first reborn human (I believe EoE mentioned that humanity would be reborn, possibly all on its own without Shinji and Asuka playing the Adam and Eve role), or it's Wrath from Fullmetal Alchemist. >>

Originally Posted by Qwarky

Spoiler:

I thought it was very sweeping, Shinji wanting his own happiness all his life, and then willing to give it up for Asuka (though that was his happiness in the first place). In effect, Re-Take was in the end about redoing the End of Evangelion for a slightly nicer Shinji + Asuka ending.

I aggree, but the first ending was so well done and moving, it felt depressing to return to the previous scenario (even if it's the "real" one).

Originally Posted by Qwarky

To say it's what all/most Eva fans wanted is a bit exaggerating, and most of the people who hated both the ending(s) as well as Shinji and thought he was nothing but a spineless piece of turd, weren't really fans of the series in the first place.

It does seem though a lot of people who liked the series (and a lot who didn't) felt confused or disappointed because of a lack of an ending that tells you what to think. Many of the more open endings seem to suffer from this.

For a large majority of the series, I adored Shinji. I found him to be a fascinating character with real-world conflicts and needs, and I saw quite a bit of myself in him (and I'm sure most young teens did the same).

But by the End of Eva, I damn near hated him. The whole movie in general sent a negative message with Shinji by making him worse off at the end of the movie than he was at the beginning of the series. He literally threw away all the people who cared about him and helped him to grow as a person, and all for no real reason other than he was "vewy vewy sad".

Personally, I hate abrupt endings. I hated it in FFVII and I hated it here. There is a way to create a sense of ambiguity and make you think without making it look like the director yelled "CUT!" before the movie was over (in fact, it's rumored that Anno basically created the End as nothing more but a big "fuck you" to the legions of fans that pressured him to end the story).

Look at Lord of the Rings. The final story had about 5 endings, but it still left enough material for viewers to go back and draw their own conclusions. Endings like that will always be my preference, as it captures both a sense of closure as well as some ambiguity tossed in for further analysis. Endings like EVA and FFVII are just an excuse to get the fanfiction writers to come up with a scenario the original writers themselves couldn't think up. Seeing the scene I mentioned in my previous entry with Misato and Shinji had just as much weight and emotional response as anything from the End of Eva, except it also felt like a more natural, desirable ending. It doesn't HAVE to be weird or sad to be considered "deep", you know.

Shinji suffered plenty enough in the course of the series. It wouldn't have hurt to give him a semi-happy ending (which you could argue was the case with Asuka's supposed resurrection, but they didn't exactly get off to a good start).

Jam it back in, in the dark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLyPo5cuV8s

What do you think?

How ya doing, buddy?

In the Feb issue of Newtype USA, there was a four page article on the EVA movies. A few details were revealed regarding the project.

1. The first movie will re-enact the first episode of the series, with the climax being the 6th episode (Showdown in Tokyo-3. Shinji and Rei's first teamup).

2. The showdown is receiving a major overhaul, as Anno has expressed disastisfaction with how low budget the episode turned out.

3. The movie will make use of current CG technology, and is said to display a massive amount of detail in every frame, to the point that multiple viewings may be required, especially for the climax (just no more text flashing, ok?).

4. The NERV and Selee logos will be changed. The new NERV logo is a partially eaten apple, the Selee one is an apple and a serpent (zomg teh overtones).

5. There will be a new character introduced, but he/she may not show up until the 2nd movie.

6. There are two main promo posters; one is a cheerful rendering of the main cast and Shinji's classmates by Sadamoto, the other is a live action shot of Unit-01 standing above Tokyo-3. They say the movies' theme more closely resembles the first poster.

7. There are splash drawings in the article, though it's still unknown if they represent how the characters will look in the movie. It's a mixed bag so far, with Shinji and Asuka looking more angular and cartoony, while Rei and Kaworu have a rougher, darker look to them (I especially like how Rei looks).

That's about it so far. I'm still remaining cautiously optimistic, because I'm still hoping that A) they won't try to make it slapstick crazy just to appeal to the fanbase that likes to collect Asuka and Rei pillows, and B) they don't reuse any animation from the TV series at all, though that doesn't sound too likely.

The movies are being called a "fresh interpretation", so I'm also hoping they don't keep the remakes word by word exact. I'd be happy if it remained closer to the manga, if nothing else.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I'll see what I can do. They're pretty big pictures (Newtype is a hefty magazine), so I'm not sure how they'll come out, but I'll give it a try.

EDIT: Here

you go. They came out much better than I imagined.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Quote:

Official Title of New Evangelion Movie Revealed
The official Japanese Evangelion homepage has formally announced that the official title of the upcoming Evangelion movie is "Evangeliwon Shin Gekijouban: Jyo" ("Evangeliwon New Motion Picture: Prologue"). Famitsu Magazine has revealed the redesigned Nerv and Seele logos that will appear in the film. Advance tickets for the movie will go on sale in Japan on April 21st and advance ticket purchasers will recieve a bonus Nerv cel phone/keychain strap. The movie is scheduled to open on September 1st.

Source: Rakuga Kidou

The movie title is lame, but the logos are pretty spiffy.

I was speaking idiomatically.