Well, I think that it took a flawed concept and fixed a lot of little things I felt were wrong with it.
Yeah, you said that. And I think it took an interesting concept with great characters and made it bland.
For instance the most marked improvement is the addition of an actual romance which is something Evangelion skirted around but never got into. This sub plot is the main reason why I was more interested in it.
The romance between Shinji and Asuka is what it needs to be. If it were
more then its subtly and rhythm would have been thrown out the window. The whole point of their romance is to show two people who are interested in each other yet miss their connection or are unable to connect in the first place. The frustration and tension is crucial for the various breakdowns to build up.
Ayato was also more stable and far less whiny than Shinji.
Definitely less whiny. But, still obviously a replacement Shinji character when I watched it. It's been too long for me to cite any specifics, but that was my reading back then. Maybe I'm wrong.
Shinji being as whiny, helpless, and at times infuriating is what separates him from the normal slew of young, disaffected protagonists in mecha shows. Otherwise he's relatively forgettable as a character type, especially since its become so common to use it post-Evangelion.
I should clarify that I'm not saying Evangelion created the character type. But, it did popularize that sort of reluctant/unwilling (appropriate descriptors are escaping me here) hero type, especially in mecha.
In addition you don't really need supplementary materials to understand RahXephon. It dots it's i's and crosses it's own t's within the series itself. It managed to be complex without being as confusing.
The important answers to the plot are in Evangelion itself. Sure, there are tons of minutia in the universe that people get distracted by and go all out fanboy about trying to find/create the answers. Those otaku types are the reason so much supplementary material exists, to please those who obsess over details and pointless plot, mecha, and setting details. Those exist in lots of franchises.
What are some of the things you feel are only understandable through supplementary material? And how important do you think those are to the show?
And the most important part of Evangelion, the emotional journey (most apparent in Shinji's character), is there when you watch the show. You don't need anything additional to understand it if you pay attention to what's happening.
Personally, I didn't think RahXephon was all that intriguing in the first place, complex or not. In a lot of ways, I think I consider it the safer, more straightforward and run-of-the-mill version of Evangelion.
Lots of people disagree.
Umm. Okay? 