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Forum - View topicThis Week in Anime - That New Eva Project
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Greed1914
 Posts: 5365 |
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I'm mixed on this prospect. I'm hoping that Anno saying he wants Eva to be like Gundam means that we'll have alternative stories, and not so much the expansions of the existing story like with Universal Century just because it doesn't seem like the setting has much room for that like Gundam does. I'd also think that the crew sign onto it would only be there if they felt like they had some worthwhile ideas to get out there.
I suppose the main thing that makes me hesitant about it is that I came out of 3.0+1.0 with a distinct feeling of closure. It felt like Anno said what he needed to say with it and that we truly reached the finale. My main hope here is that nobody involved would bother if the plan was for a simpler remake. |
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mdo7
 Posts: 8233 Location: Katy, Texas, USA |
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Evangelion franchise is never going away or never going to die as long as the studio, and Hideaki Anno is still going around.
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SaiyanHeretic
Posts: 108 |
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Any new Eva projects without Anno should be new characters in a new setting. The only returning face I will tolerate is Rei Ayanami, because she's already a clone of a clone of a clone, and her personality being a blank slate is built into her characterization. She's a potentially infinite canvas. Also, Rei could be the Haro of the franchise, with some version of her just being around, not even a major character in the plot.
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Dr. Wily
Posts: 868 |
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Yeah, I think we all knew deep down that Eva would never die. The merch market for it alone is nearly a cottage industry. At this point I think it's a lot like some of the big shonen like Dragon Ball where it makes too much money for its owners to let it die.
Speaking of, I'm not sure how the ownership shakes out after the whole move from Gainax to Khara, but I think as long as Anno gets a cut of whatever revenue future Eva projects generate, he's probably not gonna make much of a peep even if future projects end up being bad. |
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tintor2
 Posts: 2711 |
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If we get to compare tragedies, Yoko Taro might be even harsher than Anno when treating the main cast. Nevertheless, Yoko said that characters like Caim and Zero are not worthy of a happy ending due to their overly violent natures.
However, if we compare Drakengard's Yoko Taro to Nier's Yoko Taro there is a big sense of change like when Anno gave Rebuild a more optimistic take of his characters. In Nier we keep killing monster shadows like a twisted take on Kingdom Hearts once we learn what the world is based on. Nier wants to save his sister and his closest companions are discriminated people with Emil being an allusion to homophobia. Still, Nier is kind to Kaine and Emil when compared to Caim. Automata seems like Yoko wanted to write happy endings to the cyborgs based on how they confront tragedies, especially when the game was adapted into an anime. |
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Jikorijo
Posts: 32 |
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My two cents:
Well, I had a feeling that'd we'd get more since Anno has said that he wants Eva to continue. I just didn't know if he'd be be involved in the making of whatever came next, which doesn't seem like it (for now). "We say goodbye for we hope to see each other again." And based on Anno's statements (saying in the 3+1 documentary he wouldn't miss Eva and then in a later interview admitting he'd miss it), actions (scripting 3.0 (-46h), I remain skeptical of him staying away forever. Of course, we have long-time Eva director, Tsurumaki, and Tōko Yatabe, who has helped out with the newer Eva films. I've always liked Tsurumaki as a director (I love Diebuster and think it's better than Gunbuster), though not everything by him has been perfect (GQUX), and he has always been important to the quality of Eva. I have never seen anything by Yoko Taro, so I don't have any expectations about his work here. I'm excited! Whatever happens, I hope we get new things from this series. New characters, a new story, new Evas, etc., whether is stars our beloved original characters or not. I just hope it isn't another variation of the original series' story, like the Rebuild films/Sadamoto manga. Not interested in anything AsukaXShinji since I've always preferred the ReiXShinji stuff in the original series/Rebuild/manga(Spoilers: spoiler[Happy Shinji went with Rei in 3+1)]. If Anno wants Eva to continue, it needs to have new elements in it. Or at least, those new elements need to be there for me to sustain my interest in Eva. Other than that, I hope it's good! Last edited by Jikorijo on Wed Mar 04, 2026 1:13 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Bonham
 Posts: 439 Location: NYC |
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You'd have to take issue with Anno and call him "ignorant" then, given both his own clear preference toward their relationship and the worldview he demonstrates in the themes of all his Evangelion works—including the short film Sylvia references, which brings further clarity to the positive and correct readings that were always there in The End of Evangelion, but some people have denied. You'd also have to say this to folks who understandably identify their own traumatized and/or mentally ill selves with Shinji and Asuka and their relationship, as well as others in NGE. It's a shame that there's been a long "fandomfication" of how romantic relationships and concepts have been engaged with in art—not just in NGE, but in general—reducing and dismissing discussions of such things to just "shipping," rather than in a wholly good faith analysis of what a given work is saying (be it in a "realistic" or abstracted narrative). Those credible viewpoints are there. The people I mentioned in the previous paragraph have talked at length about these elements: how emotionally resonant those characters and their relationship (and others in NGE) are when it comes to depicting how broken people and the relationships they struggle with; how the abuse that people go through also means that there are no "perfect victims" for trauma survivors/those who struggle with mental illness; and how understanding and accepting yours and others' faults in an important path to emotional growth and empathy. (This aspect can sometimes get dismissed as "abuse apologia" or some such nonsense by some fans, when that's not what's being discussed at all. It's a different topic altogether. The "that's a whole new sentence" meme comes to mind.)
I'm not sure how many people consider NieR Re[in]carnation a failure, other than it being a financial one (and I would hope financial success wouldn't be equated artistic success; if so, everything besides Yoko Taro's done besides NieR Automata and the Replicant remake would be considered artistic failures, and I don't think anyone here is going to argue that). NieR Rein, for all the criticism toward its gameplay, has been largely praised for its writing in Drakenier circles, and for further diving in and expanding the narrative and setting for both NieR and Drakengard in ways that not even Automata did. I say all this as someone who loves Automata. That said, I'm interested in this new Evangelion project precisely because of Yoko Taro's involvement. As Sylvia notes, Taro is a genuine fan of NGE, and its DNA runs throughout his works in ways both obvious and not. Whether the work will be successful or not is another question, but he obviously understands and empathizes with the emotional core of NGE in a way that, say, Sadamoto obviously not with his manga adaptation. His writing of Kainé and 9S alone demonstrate that this is, on paper, will be written by someone who "gets it." A different take on the old cast with Taro could still be interesting, though I honestly wouldn't care that much because it would be merely another variation, another repetition in a story that was already well punctuated back in 1997. A new cast and setting opens up many more possibilities, one that can still engage with any meta-fictional concerns Taro is prone to express (along with NGE as a series), while also still allowing him to create with his own voice, unencumbered by the baggage that another retread would bring. If it doesn't come together? Eh, that's fine, people still have the original series and EoE (which has been my attitude toward the redundant and weaker narratives of the Rebuild movies). But if it does? Then we have another great, hopefully personal work that opens the door for others. |
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quoss
Posts: 132 |
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I will happily call Anno ignorant, just to say. This is part of what's fun (and painful) about Eva and any good art... the infinite takes. In my view, the Asuka/Shinji pairing is asinine, it goes utterly against another part of what I think makes Eva incredible... and I'll happily keep disagreeing with the opposite opinion, including from their creator in whom I've lost fall faith to tell their story after Rebuild, and we'll have these conversations forever. Your paragraph about misinforming thoughtful analysis of relationships as simply "shipping" as well as victims and traumas was very interesting. and classic Eva reaction. Keeping my thoughts very brief because I don't want to get into why I have my views right now, I mostly just wanted to assert that creators can be thought wrong for sure~ |
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Bonham
Posts: 439 Location: NYC |
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Thinking an artist is wrong about their work is any viewer's prerogative, but that's not what I was replying to with my post. Saying “I've always found any arguments for why they should be in a relationship to be pretty ignorant" is ignoring and being callous to not just the work itself, but the many credible points and life experiences that have been shared by people—including and especially those who deal with mental illness and are trauma survivors themselves—about these characters and their relationship over years of discussions. It's the very ethos of NGE, and recognizing that and others' differing, complicated experiences is as well. (And, like Hideaki Anno, this is something that Yoko Taro also understands. It’s why I remain cautiously optimistic about this new project.) This isn’t just a “classic Eva reaction”—it’s actually engaging with art as you would with any piece of literature, classic and arthouse world cinema, etc. You can engage in good faith with what people say, regardless of whether you change your opinions to whatever degree or still hold the same ones afterwards, or you can act coy and blithely dismiss what others say (my post; the links I shared; what has been said elsewhere by those people and countless others, including folks see themselves and their partners in Asuka, Shinji, and their relationship; et cetera) without actually adding anything of substance, just provocation. |
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quoss
Posts: 132 |
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Eh? are you saying my post was just provocation? I'm real sorry it came off that way; I actually tried hard to make it sound as friendly as possible while still saying what I wanted to say. So I started processing how one arrives at thinking an opinion is ignorant in contexts like these and Ima keep the processing here because I think it's relevant.. When meeting any stranger, shall we embody Fruits Basket ethics and believe the best of them? I think that's a good way to be and I try. So when any stranger has any opinion, I'll assume they have an idea of what they're talking about. When someone who has such-and-such qualification on a topic, be it being a fan of something or possessing a forklift certification, we can give them even more credit! believe more in their understanding. Then you keep talking to them and your initial opinion may have to be adjusted based on what they continue to say-- maybe they got that certification too long ago that they've forgotten some important points, or maybe they simply lack depth perception, but either way, you might think they actually don't know as much of what they're talking about as you think they should or as they had initially presented or are claiming. My point being, I'm going to assume--as a rule, which I'll only break thoughtlessly--an anime fan talking about Eva, of all things, has thought about it, has reason for whatever they're saying. People of course do sometimes just say absolutely whatever based on nothing and this I would say is def speaking ignorantly. But we shall assume the best. With Anno, he had my assumptions a long time ago, and lost them since. With the general possible opinion that exists of, "Asuka and Shinji make a good couple," I will of course basically parse immediately that there's an infinite world of reasons for having that opinion and this being such a thought-provoking work, I doubt saying generally, "It's an ignorant take," is a correct one. So we agree on that. I will also add, this thought process certainly also applied to when I read the line the reviewer wrote; I assumed they have an idea of what goes into Eva opinions, and then said what they said. So I'd also doubt your calling their opinion ignorant being a good take. But their take is the hotter one so you're in the lead. Is this interesting? I want to remind that, as you even pointed out, the only point I made was simply that creators can be wrong, and I didn't touch the rest of what you said but in praise. But since you quoted me (I think because you thought my lack of engagement with your point was disputing it maybe? or just because I, shall we say appropriated it?, to make my own much smaller point, or as a retort to the perceived provocation?) there is my reply. "This isn’t just a “classic Eva reaction”—it’s actually engaging with art as you would with any piece of literature, classic and arthouse world cinema, etc." I would call that a classic Eva reaction though adding a "just" rarely does anyone any favors. My saying it was meant as a quick-serve compliment to the work and acknowledgment of your thoughtfulness and apparent depth of caring. |
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Fluwm
Moderator
 Posts: 1625 |
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I've always found that whole Asuka/Rei "controversy" a little silly, and a little impenetrable. I haven't been able to muster the will to watch the movies yet (sorry, I've spent the past decade or two reeling from EoE, and I fear I may never recover) so maybe things are different there, but in the actual TV show? I never really got big "love triangle" vibes out the three, nor saw romance as... much of an aspect to the story at all, really. Puberty and sexual attraction? Sure. But, like... they're kids. If we're talking who would make a better long-term romantic partner for Shinji... it's none of them, right? Because at 14/15, they're all way too immature to be viable partners for anyone. Tell me Shinji is dating anyone, and my first reaction is gonna be "Sounds like a bad idea," every time.
I know some of the side-material explores Eva through more of a romcom lens (I want to say... Girlfriend of Steel, which is a manga, I think?) but I have to imagine something like that would have to take pretty significant liberties with the characters of all three characters to work. |
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Bonham
Posts: 439 Location: NYC |
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It's a fandomized "controversy," not one in the text itself. None of the "waifu wars" (which has always been eye rolling, particularly with it being about two 14-year-old female characters) or imagined "love triangle" actually matter to substantially arguing about the narrative. (I don't have interest in any of the goofy spinoffs that indulge that stuff, and the Rebuild movies aren't part of my focus, either, besides any sort of meta-fictional bearing they have when engaging Evangelion as a whole.)
Romantic relationships and their related emotions—infatuation, love, lust—are obviously a part of NGE's larger concerns, just familial relationships and friendships are. Romance is not the main point, but it's also still one of many important points in the writing. All of these various relationships between characters absolutely matter for the narrative: in one's own self identity and how it's constructed, along with how they relate to and understand others; and in how explicit it is in showing the "hedgehog's dilemma" that the show hits you over the head with. It doesn't make sense to section off any romantic angles as being "lesser" than the others, particularly when that aspect is pushed to the forefront with The End of Evangelion (and not just with our two pilots). It's also not accurate to suggest that folks who like and speculate about their relationship (or any of the characters', such as Misato and Kaji's) imagine them to be instantly dating or anything like that. Some do, of course, but I think it's silly to imagine them making up and dating immediately after Third Impact. It’s more likely to take a long-ass time (many months, years, whatever) to even consider that possibility, if they even do. They also might never romantically end up together. But that potential is there (we've seen their interactions when they are not overwhelmingly burdened by their respective and similar traumas; they relate to each other in ways few other people would, and also have reached a deeper, mutual understanding thru how Third Impact works; etc). The narrative clearly suggests this as a possibility with EoE and its theming of people facing reality, with all of its highs and lows, with how you'll inevitably be hurt, but also find the possibility for understanding and happiness. Facing trauma and pain, growing from that and maturing, is all the very essence of the series. (The show and especially EoE spell all of this out for its audience; recognizing how harsh reality can be doesn't undermine a hopeful message, but reinforces it.) I'd also add that anime and manga have plenty of romantic couples in middle school or high school, both comedic and dramatic, in romance genre titles and not. Audiences cheer for them to get together, and arguments about whether these young couples can stay together are beside the point. Uncommon in reality? Sure. But it happens (I speak from that experience personally), and we're also talking about art and narrative to begin with. All of that isn't any different here. |
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Alphael
Posts: 74 |
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It was also really only a thing in the western fandom because if you look at stuff like Newtype polls Rei was far and away more popular than Asuka was. There was no war at all. The battle was already won. |
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Bonham
Posts: 439 Location: NYC |
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@quoss, I somehow hadn't seen that you'd posted a reply when I sent my previous one. For whatever reason, your post hadn't shown up yet? Just wanted to note that, as I didn't want it to seem like I was ignoring your reply. That said, thank you for clarifying what you meant, as I had read your first post differently.
In terms of relative popularity in Japan, it's actually more complicated than that, which can be read about in this thread, for anyone who cares about the facts and history of such things. Regardless, as I more or less said before, framing and insisting that either character "has won" in some fandom war is absurd. |
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