>>282936648
I thought the character writing was really weak, even if we consider it's limited runtime compared to the show, it relied too much on legacy characterization inherited from the TV series to make the viewer familiar with the cast
Additionally, a lot of the plot relied heavily on mystery boxes that led nowhere
Several things about it were purposefully changed from the show to subvert the viewer's expectations (like making Asuka into an entirely different character altogether) and didn't end up mattering in the slightest
The intersection of these two problems is Mari, a character we know NOTHING about, we're given no time to come to care about her, has not a single memorable scene or piece of dialogue to her name (despite starring in numerous action sequences), continuously introduces new plot threads to the story that are then never brought up again (worst of all how she's somehow Gendo and Yui's college classmate but also a teenager) and yet for some reason she's the focus of the entire ending sequence