[EVA] The EoE Situation

[Peter Svensson]

>So, exactly what happened to spur EoE* into production? I've heard a number 
>of different things here, including:
>
>(1) The Search For More Money.
>(2) The fans whining about the inadequacy of the TV ending needed to be 
>silenced, by whatever means.
>(3) Anno-tachi "owed it to the staff" to revisit the final parts of NGE 
>with more money, more time, and end it with a bang.

As I recall (and people whose Gainax-Fu is stronger than mine please correct 
my errors), the decision to shelf the original scripts for episodes 25-26 
was made with the proviso that those scripts would be animated as an OVA. 
Evangelion was still the biggest thing ever at the time, and releasing an 
OVA of the real ending was not only a guaranteed money maker, but also would 
allow the staff to finish the story as they had intended.

Now, Anno has stated that he's satisfied with the TV ending, but from the 
context it appears to be more of a "This is also a good ending" not a "This 
is the ending that we wanted and how dare you demand more!" I mean, for the 
time and budget the TV ending is a work of art. A flawed one, but an 
incredible attempt.

So the TV ending airs. At least one TV-Tokyo programmer is fired. Fans are 
confused, outraged, upset, and Anno shaves his head in penance. (At least 
that's the story. I haven't seen a picture of bald Anno anywhere.) But the 
announcement of the upcoming EVA OVA almost immediately after the series 
finale aired helped satiate fans. Still, there was fanmail and naughty 
graffiti.

The original plan to do a two part OVA turned into a feature film since EVA 
was still a big sensation and they felt that it would make more money. But 
when Gainax approached the release date of the film without completing it, 
yet another last minute fix was done by creating Death to serve as a 
reminder of the series since it hadn't yet been fully released on home 
video, and the work-in-progress footage of Episode 25'. Thus, Death and 
Rebirth was born to bide time for Gainax to complete the End of Evangelion 
which was now a second Evangelion film.

The home video release of Evangelion was stalled while Gainax worked on the 
films. Episodes 21-24 were altered for the home video release partially as a 
reward to the fans for being so patient with the release schedule, to help 
cover up some of the poorer animation in the later parts of the series, to 
give fans a reason to buy the LDs instead of watching their TV recordings on 
VHS over again, and to help retroactively set up the events of the End of 
Evangelion. Kaworu being the incarnation of Adam, Rei being Lillith, and 
Adam's embryo being implanted into Gendo being the major examples.

>Additionally, there is a rather prevalent rumor that Anno was so 
>disgruntled with otaku (and/or fans in general) by the time EoE rolled 
>around that the film was, at least in part, intended to present them with a 
>nice, big middle finger.

Whenever that rumor comes up, I get really angry and try to squash it like a 
bug. It comes from self-entitled otaku who think that since they didn't like 
some of the developments in EoE, it must have been because Anno made it 
purposefully to spite them.

Now, interviews with other Gainax staffers explained that instead of a 
"Let's spite the fans!" the bleak approach in EoE was done to contrast 
contemporary anime which had happy endings no matter what. They felt that 
Japan's youth was just being babied with their entertainment.

Also, EoE was being funded by a ton of major companies. Who wants to tell 
them that they're funding a film meant purposefully to spite the consumers? 
Gainax is a company, and Anno was not head of it. He wouldn't be allowed to 
do something guaranteed to drive away their bread and butter.

And of course, Anno is a big fan himself. I point to the Addition audio 
drama as the best example of this. While the movies were in production he 
wrote one of the most fanservicey, funniest, and self-depreciating works 
I've ever seen.

I think that's about it. Questions?

Peter Svensson

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