The Beams change seems like a change that works better for the movies in regards to economically paring down the basic story elements without really giving them up. The basic story remains, but is introduced earlier rather than a mid series beat.
On one hand they can't use Axel anymore because his VA is dead.
But on the other hand he could be a non-speaking appearance.
Anyway, this
is giving up quite a lot.
The original development was that Renton didn't really have anything that he could perceive as love coming from adults, and at a particular uncomfortable time the Beams looked like they could be there for him, and he could be the kid they never could have. It was a big matching story that was set up in a very particular way. What's going to happen now just can't be that way anymore at all, it's gonna be something different.
Of course the real point that grinds my nuts is that Renton's now Renton Beams. This may not seem important, but it is. Last name is an indication of a family and a family was a big theme. When they show you the registration list at the end and it has Eureka Thurston on it - that's
very important. In AO, Eureka shows up and... does not introduce herself as Thurston at any point. This means that whoever wrote AO did not understand the importance of that little detail.
Changing this does not simply "pair up" two plot points, it changes them completely and introduces completely new implications.
But of course all of this pales before the fact that they called Nirvash "AΩ". That's a red flag the size of the moon. I'm not touching this pile until somebody who values E7 tells me it's not AO/PFR-tier utter garbage like it's shaping up to be and respects the original themes.
If you're gonna change so much just make something new, like Xamd!
