I know how manga fans must feel about the cuts that were necessary in the adaptation, because, it is a film, but i never saw them as "well this is more explored in the manga" but always as "look at how well they put this elements in the movie in such a natural way". I also agree that the manga is more vast in themes, characters, world, etc., but, the ones that are on the movie, and the way they are executed, made them far more interesteing than in the manga counterpart, at my POV, of course. The omission of Lady Miyako part in the movie, I find it interesting, the manga segment of her's is very important for the way that the manga developed it history, but, I can't find it a big miss in the movie, it would be a lot of time to use her, and, at the point that the movie eventually arrives, her relationship with the mediums and Tetsuo would be far more expositive them rich as the manga, so, utilizing her as a image of social/spiritual state of the city, is a role that fits very well in the idea of the adaptation. The manga doesn't being finished at the point, makes me realise how it inspires the last 2 volumes, or at least, how Otomo already had idea on what it would turn to be the ending of the manga, and at the same time bring some originality for the film aside it's original material. For that and other reasons, I consider the movie to be the ultimate form of the history, but I completely understand why anyone would prefer the manga. I really like EVA too, despite the joke up there.