Now, Ric - pertaining to EVA, I like some elements of the directors cuts, but its doesnt seem quite like SW to me. I still have my full set of DVDs of the original broadcasts, and they are still available en masse. Personally, I like End of EVA, and Death/Rebirth better than the tv series ending episodes. I guess thats just me. The episodes fit in with the pyschological undertones present throughout the series, but you have to love Asuka mincing the SEELE baddies.
At any rate, ive been an NGE fan since the series originally was available in the states, circa 97-98. The only Anime exposure I had before that was Dragonball on Italian tv (I lived there from 94-97) and of course the seminal Akira, Ghost in the Shell, and Ninja Scroll.
I think this thread is a great idea, hopefully we can keep it going.
On the topic of updates (in a sense) I saw Ghost in the Shell 2 recently, while it was still in theatres. I was very impressed. Im glad to see that the stateside version maintained the overtly philosophical nature of the film, and didnt needlessly beef up the action.
Other Anime ive seen in theatres: Mononoke Hime, Spiritied Away, and X. Two of three are Miyazaki - that man is a genius and one of the best anime directors/writers/animators around.
I know thats a lot of stuff, I guess this is a very broad response. Thanks for the thread Ric.