I think that the so-called 'sadism' couldn't be avoided, for the sake of preserving the original series' feel. Since we're talking about a movie that is meant to be 'fast-paced' instead of several episodes where you can patiently deliver a lot of develoment for a long amount of time, you'll eventually start to believe Shinji's getting through a tighter wringer, as the abuse seems more condensed, thicker. Not to mention that because of the said 'time-squeeze', the staff members have to make up for the episodes-long anguish and all that.
Not to mention that Anno must have taken to heart the criticism about Shinji moping for hours (although IMHO it wouldn't seem so realistic should he
not do that) and tried to keep it to an acceptable minimum.
On the other topic, Toji's survival hangs by a single, hazy thread - the question whether the staff
truly wants to destroy Shinji's world once more or go look for a brighter alternative. Since there's a new ending being devised for this take, he might very well be spared some of the heat, although not going down to the inevitable Third (or Fourth, if you read the previous pages) Impact would feel like a letdown if you have seen the movie beforehand and raised your expectations in consequence.
If they want to ruin Shinji anew, then Toji will have to go through the entire mess once again. If not, then he might be spared a grisly fate and will probably have to give up being a pilot, possibly due to injuries or trauma. Who knows.
Quote:
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To put it simple, Tabris is an angel assuming human form.
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According to the NGE 2 PS2 game, Tabris is even more than that -