>>32147i don't i can comprehend any definition of pretentious other than the correct one i'm operating under. if you mean pretentious by you didn't understand it, therefore you didn't like it, then i can get that. if you meant pretentious by how it actually means, i.e. imparting a sense of unwarranted importance, i think my interpretation is pretty spot on.
as much as i like NGE, it's not so important that the tiny details (e.g. asuka's stances and facial expressions in the elevator scene) absolutely must be ranimated until perfect, because as iconic and great as that scene is, it's really not that essential.
however, embarking on a new story and diverting from the broadcased canon can't be pretentious. that's exactly why end of evangelion was made: because many people hated the original ending. retreading the same exact ground in hopes of finding undiscovered value is objectively more pretentious than trying to find worth in a new story.