Do you support the sequel theory?
| So I am sure most of you have come across the speculation or have picked up on it yourself, but there are several possible references to the original series and The End of Evangelion in the Rebuild movies which hint that the reimagining could in fact be a sequel. Here is an updated version of an image that has been floating around the net for quite some time that displays such references and hints. However, some of these things have been explained either in the movies or by fans. For example, the red ocean is explained in 2.0 as an effect of the second impact, and the shot at the waters edge is a recurring one in many of Hideaki Anno's works. It seems this shot is there to throw off fans with a keen eye more than anything else. The same can be said for the chalk outline. Some think that it is perhaps one of the mass production Eva's from The End of Evangelion, but the bottom line is nothing has been confirmed and this will probably never be addressed in the movies and will never be shown again. For all we know it could be a failed Eva test. Anno just seems to be trolling us. As for the blood on the Moon, it is perhaps a trail left by dragging the body of the incomplete Unit 06 to the pit it was in at the end of 1.0, rather than being the blood spray from The End of Evangelion. The blood line is also significantly smaller than the one in The End. However - Anno has been known to say that Evangelion is a story that repeats and Kaworu's words at the end of 2.0 definitely hint at Rebuild being a continuation. But the tetralogy is incomplete, for now we can express our thoughts, but can't really confirm anything from them. Nevertheless, I am curious as to what everyone else thinks. Do you support of the sequel theory or not? If you really don't know what to think then maybe this extremely informative thread on EvaGeeks will help you decide. |
ToukaSep 9, 2010 4:16 AM
| I was the first to suggest the possibility of Rebuild being a sequel amongst my circle of Eva followers/experts. At the time I was greeted with skepticism, and admittedly at the time I was merely working on a hunch based on my impressions of the Eva creative team. However, I think it is now safe to say that the "sequel" concept has gone from wild guess to clear theory. Personally the biggest indicator came when I scale-compared the size of Rei's boobs and found them bigger in the Rebuild. :p But given the enigmatic statement at the end of 2.0, and since it has been confirmed as a valid translation (and not just a fansub fuck-up), I think the Sequel Theorists are now officially in business. I'm almost willing to open a new hypothesis for discussion among we Eva scholars. Perhaps all the inceptions of Eva (for instance, the game(s) follow a different timeline/cannon) are--in fact--recreated realities following the third impact of End of Eva. Quite frankly, the creators are just bat shit crazy enough to pull it off. And just as a disclaimer for myself--yes, I recognize that even now they could shove this back in our faces yelling "hahahahaha, we fooled you!" and undo all portions of this theory. I have a theory about the general purpose of Evangelion too (much older) which would probably be proven as fact if that occurred. In the mean time, I recognize that this theory could easily be wrong. And now--having just reviewed some of my counterparts in the Eva scholary's opinions, I realize I am in the minority of long-term Eva fans who value the sequel theory. Perhaps the difference is generated from differing interpretations concerning the End of Eva? By the way, you never offered your own opinion. ^_^ |
Mr_PandaJun 29, 2010 6:17 PM
| ~ Mr. Panda // Twitter: @ManlyBats ~ The Anime Historian ~ Fleet Admiral, Manly Battleships® Ask Mr. Panda Thread Follow Mr. Panda's VCR of DOOM! review series here. Now on YouTube! |
| Aha, I didn't offer my own opinion because I am one of the fans who is stuck in the middle. I think it would be interesting if it turns out Rebuild is a sequel, but I just think right now there isn't enough solid proof. Kaworu's words are really the only unexplainable parts and everything has either already been made clear or is just too vague. I think I will wait to see what 3.0 and 4.0 have in store for us before I make up my mind. However, knowing Anno and his crew he probably has no intention of resolving this issue and will probably leave the sequel theory open to debate. Although 2.0 was very unpredictable, so we'll just have to see how things go. Also, surely all of the video games and such couldn't be recreations as Shinji rejected instrumentality rather than embracing it. He didn't have the power to do anything else after the Third Impact and was left in the post-apocalyptic wasteland with Asuka. I guess - as you mentioned - that is just one interpretation of the End of Eva though. Thats just the way I see it but I am sure there are many other fans that have a completely different view. That is what I love about Evangelion, the sheer volume of its content. It is annoying Anno doesn't offer any explanations at all, but its fun to debate such things. |
| While we will have to watch 3.0 and 4.0 in order to really know if the Rebuild is a Sequel to the original series, that is definitely the direction where this is all leaning in my eyes. Along with all the previously stated reasons, I think that the Rebuild is a sequel because while everything is moving in the same general direction as the original, the situation is more positive at the moment. By this point in the series and the manga, Touji had reluctantly piloted Unit 03 in order to pay for his sister's hospital bills, and as a result, he was badly hurt(killed if you read the manga). However, he never had to, his sister is fine, and while Asuka had to pilot Unit 03 and was badly hurt as a result, she was smiling prior to the Angel's contamination, which was much more than ever really did in the tv anime/ manga by this point. Lastly, the outside events aside, both Shinji and Rei seemed happy in the last scenes of the movie. If the world was restarted after EOE, all these changes would go right along with at least Shinji's wishes. The only that doesn't quite fit is Mari, but I'm her role will be revealed soon enough, especially considering she seems to take all the events relatively calmly. |
| I'll have to wait for 3.0 and 4.0 to actually decide. But if anything else, I'm a bit skeptical of it being a sequel. For one thing, there couldn't be anything in the Evangelion universe that could trigger a time-screw as far as I can see. Humans are out of the question with their unability to even control the EVAs to a full extent, and there is so little information as to how much Angels can screw up their world. I think only Shinji had that one-shot chance to do so..but in EoE (if I recall correctly..it's been years T^^T) I believe he wanted to move on..hence Rei and Kaworu letting him do as he wishes. Or it's just me again. I might find the Rebuilds to be more of a fan-service type of thing (Misato's "sabisu sabisu!" keeps ringing in my head) since all fans would want that (I know I did..Rei <33) Or I might find it as a more fluid recreation of the original series, making the stages set for the characters much clearer than before. One case being Asuka piloting 03 and being infected as a perfect stage setter for her EoE awesomeness with Mother instead of randomly choosing Touji out of nowhere only to lose him almost instantaneously (also a better shock for Shinji since he's more attached to Asuka in 2.22 than to Touji..or as far as I saw it). But I'm not completely saying no to the sequel theory, as Kaworu is currently making no sense to me other than a huge time-screw has happened. >__< That said, I'm open for anything. Come on 3.0 and 4.0, I'm ready for anything. >:3 |
Touka said: For example, the red ocean is explained in 2.0 as an effect of the second impact, and the shot at the waters edge is a recurring one in many of Hideaki Anno's works. It seems this shot is there to throw off fans with a keen eye more than anything else. Also, the movie specifically states that the ocean was blue until Second Impact occurred. Meaning that for this to be a sequel to End of Evangelion, it would have to take place no more than fifteen years after the events of that movie. Surely I don't have to explain why this doesn't make sense. Touka said: As for the blood on the Moon, it is perhaps a trail left by dragging the body of the incomplete Unit 06 to the pit it was in at the end of 1.0, rather than being the blood spray from The End of Evangelion. The blood line is also significantly smaller than the one in The End. Or that could be another effect of Second Impact. It seems to have been a lot more devastating here than it was in the series, so who's to say it didn't affect the moon as well? So yeah, I don't believe the sequel theories. I'll admit, Kaworu's lines definitely seem to support the theories, but there are just too many things about it that don't add up, no matter how I look at it. |
| The whole Rebuild universe just seems "nicer" than the original - is that a hint of a sequel or just a strategy to get more new fans?....................................or both? Tabris, Mari and even Gendo seem to know alot more than they should though...and Shinji's cassete player at track 27 could be more evidence or just a easter egg of the original? I'm divided - 60% Sequel/ 40% Alternate Universe. |
| Or could it be a possible time-screw courtesy of Shinji? Afterall, Kaworu IS an angel, so it does seem to indicate that he remembered something form the previous time lapse or parallel and completely different but close to the original one. But that's just my wild guess, considering I've played one too many BlazBlue matches. ^^; |
| I LOVE this theory! I think it may be true, but I guess we'll never know it for sure. Have you watched Higurashi no Naku Koro ni? I believe ot rather something like that: |
 Polscy fani, łączcie się^^" |
Pottymouth said: I highly doubt it's a sequel to the series at all. In EOE, It wouldn't make sense for Rebuild to be a sequel. Sure there may be some references, but it's a whole new story. I'm not sure if the original ending even deserves spoiler warning anymore. :p But actually, the EoE was the foundation of my original hypothesis anyway. Since Since explicitly stating something is not a specialty of Eva, the means of this "fixing" the world could have been anything. Thus, perhaps the series is more than just a conceptual reboot, it is a literal reboot initiated by Shinji. That's the reasoning I developed prior to the first movie anyway. But I acknowledge what most of the other people have said so far. More information is needed. We'll likely not know for sure until the end. |
| ~ Mr. Panda // Twitter: @ManlyBats ~ The Anime Historian ~ Fleet Admiral, Manly Battleships® Ask Mr. Panda Thread Follow Mr. Panda's VCR of DOOM! review series here. Now on YouTube! |
| True enough, no one died or anything..it's just the problem of whether or not everyone who turned into soup had the willpower(?) to turn back into human form. Gendou's case I'm not particularly sure, but since he didn't get turned into soup/got his head chomped off instead of turning into soup I figured he'd be dead by then...but I find it a trivial matter since no death save for Shinji's would influence the reboot that much. ..and lol at the screwed-up anime Jesus. xDD It could have been his choice back then though..but he never said about what he wanted except for turning things back to normal. But then maybe the huge Rei in the sky misunderstood and initiated a time-screw instead? In any case, 3.0's not coming in a few years or so, might as well keep thinking. :3 @Kawa: I want to watch Higurashi!! If there's time-screw in it I'm definitely gonna watch it. But yeah, the time-screw theory is palatable for Evangelion..at least from my point of view. xDD |
| i like your theory. i was confused when i saw kaoru's line at the end of 2.22. This would certainly be a justifiable explanation - similar to the higurashi example someone posted above. IIRC (it has been a while), shinji was ultimately left with the choice to set the fate of the world at the end of EoE. honestly with that kind of setting, it wouldnt be a farcry to think he could pull off a rewind of sorts. but who knows... kaoru is a strange character... could just be anno trolling us. |
jpem said: Quite the bump.....Buuuut the sequel theory makes a lot more sense now seeing 3.0 is going to be title You can (Not) redo Part of me thinks Anno is just trolling. Either way, it's fine with me. |
| "Yes, I have been deprived of emotion. But not completely. Whoever did it, botched the job." - Geralt of Rivia |
| I haven't seen it mentioned yet, but for anyone interested in the sequel theory, there's an interesting doujinshi called RE-TAKE (nsfw and sfw versions exist) that experiments with a few of the possibilities and provides plausible explanations for End of Evangelion. |
| The ending line isn't the only important issue when it comes to kaoru and the theory of continuity. ^_^ I'm presenting a panel about this subject on Saturday night, so I was reminded of this thread and thought I'd stop back in. Let's see how things turn out with 3.0. |
| ~ Mr. Panda // Twitter: @ManlyBats ~ The Anime Historian ~ Fleet Admiral, Manly Battleships® Ask Mr. Panda Thread Follow Mr. Panda's VCR of DOOM! review series here. Now on YouTube! |
| There is a enough evidence to make it a sequel thats for sure...the blood on the moon is the biggest indicator in my opinion...but this is Gainax and Anno...they could just be trolling us all...but I don't really care whether this is true or not...I just want more EVA... |
| I agree that the movie series is the sequel for the TV series and if so what's going to happen in 3.0 & 4.0...............really can't wait xD |
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F3lito said: I hope that Evangelion 4.0, respectively "Evangelion 3.0+1.0" will have a diffrent ending from End of Evangelion. Also that Shinji finds out the truth behind Rei. What do you mean with the truth behind Rei?Because in 3.0 |
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| I thought it might be parallel world like sequel too, when that gay angel said that stuff. Because I have a vague memory of that gay angel and Shinji had promised each other certain thing in the original anime. |
Sorry for my bad English. |
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