The announcement of a classic anime being remade is becoming a regular occurrence these days, but few remakes can challenge Neon Genesis Evangelion, which managed to revive the spirit of the series while going in its own direction. It's a path more remakes should consider taking, as a means of setting themselves apart from what came before.

While the original Neon Genesis Evangelion came out in 1995, the Rebuild of Evangelion films began in 2007, and ran until 2021, covering 14 years between the first film and the last. That's certainly a long wait to finish a remake, but that's because Rebuild was no ordinary remake. Determined to tell the story of Evangelion in a new way, the films began to diverge from the original series' canon, and the third and fourth films are wildly different, taking place after a long time-skip that's far in the future from the original's present. In the end, Rebuild told a unique tale, one that both connected it with the past and forged a new future.

What Makes Rebuild of Evangelion the Definitive Remake

The Rebuild Films See Small Changes Spiral Out to Big Differences

One of the things that sets Rebuild of Evangelion apart is the fact that it is helmed by the original creator, Hideaki Anno, who still knew the characters from the original very thoroughly. Many of the changes made in the first Rebuild film were small, but they ended up being very impactful; Shinji is a bit more outspoken, and Rei is a bit more open to human experience, for example. These changes didn't alter the events of the first movie too much, but as the characters spent more time together, the adjustments to their personalities led the story in a new direction.

In the second Rebuild movie, Rei does things the original series' Rei might never have considered, such as setting up a dinner between herself, Shinji, and Gendo. Shinji and Rei have a more open relationship, sharing with each other more than either did in the original series. That's why when it comes to the climax of the second movie, things go very differently than they did in the series, with Shinji so determined to save Rei that he accidentally sets off a chain of events that results in the "Near Third Impact," altering the world once again.

While it took over a month to retrieve Shinji from the LCL in the original series, Shinji is instead absent for decades in the Rebuild continuity, and it's revealed that EVA pilots don't seem to age as others do. In the time since, events have moved in a radically different direction, with Misato and others from NERV splitting off into their own faction, WILLE, intending to stop Gendo's plans for Instrumentality, and putting Rei (or at least, a Rei clone) on the other side. This new situation prompts Shinji to do different things than he did during the original series, and ultimately it comes together for a wildly unique ending.

Why Should Anime Remakes Differ So Much from the Original?

Anime Remakes Should Use the Opportunity to Do Something Different

There are a few reasons why anime remakes are becoming common these days, but it mostly has to do with an increased nostalgia for older series, and the improvement in animation technology that has taken place over the last 30+ years. There's also been some changes in the industry, such as a move towards season-based shows, like My Hero Academia, rather than shows running year-round in a way that necessitates filler, such as One Piece. Since many older shows are plagued by filler, often of dubious quality, it makes sense to remake them without all that filler.

Remakes might also be trying to be a closer adaptation of the source material than the original. One Piece, for example, is reportedly doing just that with its modern remake, which has yet to come out. This kind of remake is good for series that were made before a manga finished, which sometimes forces the anime to take a very different ending. That was the case for Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which stuck very close to the manga, as opposed to the 2003 anime, which invented its own ending as the manga was nowhere near completion.

The Rebuild approach of having a remake go in a completely different direction is rare, but it shouldn't be. By having the remake tell its own story distinct from the original allows for fans to get a new perspective on their favorite characters. It also offers the writers the opportunity to play with fan expectations and plot points from the original, teasing ideas from before only to present them with a twist. This can be a valuable experience when it comes to understanding the story and characters better, and not only enhances the remake, but the original as well, by contrast.

Anime Remakes Shouldn't Be Afraid to Forge a New Path

A Remake Doesn't Have to Follow the Original Perfectly

There's certainly a risk when it comes to remaking a classic anime and deciding to go in a different direction; it could anger fans, such as when it was revealed that Milly would be missing from Trigun Stampede. However, letting that fear of fan backlash dictate creative decisions is a risky proposition of its own. Fans often don't know exactly what it is that they want, only what they don't, so taking fan input too seriously can put a damper on creative freedom.

The Rebuild of Evangelion movies, all in all, seized upon the opportunity to tell a new story with familiar characters, and managed to give the franchise as a whole an ending worthy of its reputation. It's a tactic that more anime remakes should embrace, taking the chance that a remake offers to re-examine its characters in a new light and play with the course of narrative events. More remakes should embrace this willingness to diverge from the source material, the way Neon Genesis Evangelion did, because what's the point of doing the same thing over again exactly the way it happened the first time?