''Rebuild of Evangelion'', known in Japan and on
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming and Renting, rental service of Amazon (c ...
as , is a Japanese
animated
Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anim ...
film series A film series or movie series (also referred to as a film franchise or movie franchise) is a collection of related films in succession that share the same fictional universe, or are marketed as a series.
This article explains what film series are ...
and a retelling of the original ''
Neon Genesis Evangelion
, also known simply as ''Evangelion'' or ''Eva'', is a Japanese mecha anime television series produced by Gainax and animated by Tatsunoko, directed by Hideaki Anno and broadcast on TV Tokyo from October 1995 to March 1996. ''Evangelion' ...
'' anime television series, produced by
Studio Khara.
Hideaki Anno
is a Japanese animator, filmmaker and actor. He is best known for creating the anime series ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' (1995)''.'' His style is defined by his postmodernist approach and the extensive portrayal of characters' thoughts and emotio ...
served as the writer and general manager of the project, with
Kazuya Tsurumaki
Kazuya Tsurumaki (鶴巻 和哉 ''Tsurumaki Kazuya'') is a Japanese anime director. He was born on February 2, 1966, in the city of Gosen, located in the Niigata Prefecture.
He is the protégé of Hideaki Anno, and a longtime animator at Ga ...
and Masayuki directing the films themselves.
Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
is a Japanese character designer, manga artist, and one of the founding members of the Gainax anime studio.
Personal life
Before Gainax was founded under the official name (it was originally called Daicon Film), Yoshiyuki served as animator o ...
,
Ikuto Yamashita
is a Japanese manga artist and designer.
Overview
Yamashita was born in the Gifu Prefecture and is a graduate of the Nagoya University of Arts. His representative work in manga is "Dark Whisper" (serialized in Dengeki Daioh). In the field of anim ...
and
Shirō Sagisu
is a Japanese composer, arranger and music producer. With a career spanning over 40 years (beginning in the late 1970s), he is best known for his works as a record producer for acts including various choir members Mike Wyzgowski, Misia, Satosh ...
returned to provide character designs, mechanical designs and music respectively.
The film
tetralogy
A tetralogy (from Greek τετρα- ''tetra-'', "four" and -λογία ''-logia'', "discourse") is a compound work that is made up of four distinct works. The name comes from the Attic theater, in which a tetralogy was a group of three tragedies ...
uses
digital ink and paint
Traditional animation (or classical animation, cel animation, or hand-drawn animation) is an animation technique in which each frame is drawn by hand. The technique was the dominant form of animation in cinema until computer animation.
Proce ...
, some
3D CG animation, and provides new scenes, settings and characters, with a completely new conclusion in the fourth and final film. Another stated intention of the series is for it to be more accessible to non-fans than the original TV series and films were.
Storyline
''Rebuild of Evangelion'' was originally presented as an alternate retelling of the original ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' anime series: the first three movies were intended to be an "alternate retelling" of the series.
''Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone'' is a nearly line-for-line, shot-for-shot remake of episodes 1–6. Despite the great similarities, some differences are notable, like the introduction of Lilith and a mysterious apparition of Kaworu on the moon.
''Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance'' continues the story of ''Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone'', and is a much looser retelling or re-imagining of episodes 8 through 19. Its differences from these episodes include newly designed creatures and new characters, such as
Mari Illustrious Makinami
or is a fictional character in the anime film tetralogy ''Rebuild of Evangelion'', based on the television series ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' and introduced in the film ''Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance'' (2009). Mari is a pilot for the ...
.
Asuka
Asuka may refer to:
People
* Asuka (name), a list of people
* Asuka (wrestler), professional wrestler
* Asuka (wrestler, born 1998), professional wrestler also known as Veny outside of Japan
Places In Japan
* , an area in Yamato Province (now ...
is introduced in this film bearing a new surname, and some other differences from her original incarnation.
''Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo'' is the first film to completely break from the original continuity and tell a completely new story. Taking place fourteen years after the previous events and heavily featuring Kaworu, a new organization called WILLE is introduced and described as a NERV rival. New types of Evas are introduced, as well as new characters such as Sakura Suzuhara, Toji's sister. ''3.0'' is also complemented by the short manga ''
Evangelion: 3.0 (−120min.),'' and an upcoming short video, ''Evangelion: 3.0 (−46h).''
''Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time'' concludes the story. In it are presented some references with ''End of Evangelion'' and some remarkable scenes from the original show. It shows the final conflict between NERV and WILLE, as well as between Gendo and Shinji, revealing some major points of the plot.
List of films
The concept of , which roughly corresponds to "beginning", "middle", and "end", originated in classical
gagaku music and is best known to describe the acts of a
noh
is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Developed by Kan'ami and his son Zeami, it is the oldest major theatre art that is still regularly performed today. Although the terms Noh and ' ...
play. In lieu of the traditional classification, the production team has chosen to represent with the Roman letter
Q, for "quickening." With the premiere of the third film, it was announced that the symbol to be used for the final film would be the musical symbol known as the final
barline
In musical notation, a bar (or measure) is a segment of time corresponding to a specific number of beats in which each beat is represented by a particular note value and the boundaries of the bar are indicated by vertical bar lines. Dividing m ...
(
𝄂
In musical notation, a bar (or measure) is a segment of time corresponding to a specific number of beats in which each beat is represented by a particular note value and the boundaries of the bar are indicated by vertical bar lines. Dividing m ...
or , , ).
However, according to an article published by
Anime News Network
Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and oth ...
, it is actually the end
repeat sign
In music, a repeat sign is a sign that indicates a section should be repeated. If the piece has one repeat sign alone, then that means to repeat from the beginning, and then continue on (or stop, if the sign appears at the end of the piece). A c ...
(
𝄇
In music, a repeat sign is a sign that indicates a section should be repeated. If the piece has one repeat sign alone, then that means to repeat from the beginning, and then continue on (or stop, if the sign appears at the end of the piece). A c ...
or :, , ).
The intended Japanese pronunciation of this symbol has not been stated.
The film titles, in contrast to the normal
katakana
is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji and in some cases the Latin script (known as rōmaji). The word ''katakana'' means "fragmentary kana", as the katakana characters are derived fr ...
spelling of , replace the and characters with the obsolete character and the infrequently used katakana , respectively. The change is purely a stylistic one, as there is no change in pronunciation and all appearances of the Latin spelling of "Evangelion" remain the same. The final film reverts to the original katakana spelling, but adds to the title; as it is written in katakana and not kanji, the meaning of ''shin'' is ambiguous and it can be alternatively translated as either (as in previous ''Rebuild'' films), , or even something else entirely. As was done with episode titles in the original series, each film has an original Japanese title and a separate English international title picked out by the Japanese studio itself.
Production
Hideaki Anno had originally intended on making a new ''Evangelion'' story since 2000. The ''Rebuild'' films were meant as a way to open up the franchise in the future to new creators and turn Eva into a "new ''
Gundam
is a Japanese military fiction media franchise. Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise (now Bandai Namco Filmworks), the franchise features giant robots, or mecha, with the name "Gundam". The franchise began on April 7, 1979, with ''Mobile ...
''", likening this initiative to
''G Gundam'', as well as Anno's overall intentions to revitalize what he saw as a stagnant anime industry and acquire funds and experience for future projects. Anno initially began work on what would eventually become the ''Rebuild'' films in the fall of 2002, spending nearly six months on pre-production before being delayed by various other projects (such as ''
Cutie Honey
is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and illustrated by Go Nagai. First appearing in ''Weekly Shōnen Champions 41st issue of 1973, the series ran until April 1974. It follows an android girl named Honey Kisaragi, who trans ...
'', the ''
Re: Cutie Honey''
OVA
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...
, and even a few movie roles). This included watching the entire original series back-to-back.
Originally, he would call it "''G Evangelion"'' or simply "''Evangelion 2",'' and have it be directed by a new creator. However, Anno was unable to find a candidate, as most other directors felt too intimidated by the task of making a new ''Evangelion.'' By 2005, Anno settled on making the films himself. At first, Anno wanted to simply remake the original anime series as a more modern film, significantly altering only the ending.
Assistant Director
Kazuya Tsurumaki
Kazuya Tsurumaki (鶴巻 和哉 ''Tsurumaki Kazuya'') is a Japanese anime director. He was born on February 2, 1966, in the city of Gosen, located in the Niigata Prefecture.
He is the protégé of Hideaki Anno, and a longtime animator at Ga ...
claimed the original intention was that "the first 80%" of the ''Rebuild'' series would be a "compilation" of the original anime series, and the changes would only start with the last film, in keeping with earlier comments in 2006 by producer Toshimichi Ohtsuki regarding the intention that only the ending would be a major departure from the series, as staff felt
''End of Evangelion'' could not receive a sequel,
and the ''Rebuild'' movies were not going to be "metaphysical" like the original anime, but rather "oriented towards entertainment". This eventually changed, and major changes started happening as early as ''
Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance,'' particularly with the introduction of
Mari Illustrious Makinami
or is a fictional character in the anime film tetralogy ''Rebuild of Evangelion'', based on the television series ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' and introduced in the film ''Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance'' (2009). Mari is a pilot for the ...
, whom thanks to fan expectations grew from a minor character limited to a single scene to one of the protagonists. The production of ''
Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo'' was personally very demanding for Anno and led him into a bout of depression, delaying production for the final film as Anno worked on other projects such as ''
The Wind Rises
is a 2013 Japanese animated historical drama film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli for the Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Walt Disney Japan, Mitsubishi, Toho and KDDI. It was rele ...
'' and ''
Shin Godzilla
is a 2016 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi, with a screenplay by Anno and visual effects by Higuchi. Produced by Toho Pictures and Cine Bazar and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the 31st film in the '' ...
''.
The studio involved with production of the original series,
Gainax
Gainax Co., Ltd. (stylized as GAINAX; ja, 株式会社ガイナックス, Hepburn romanization, Hepburn: ) is a Japanese anime studio famous for productions such as ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'', ''Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise, Roya ...
was facing significant problems at the time, and Anno felt unable to continue his project there. In order to produce the films, Anno left Gainax and founded
Khara in May 2006 together with most of the talent involved in the original anime series. In the December 2006 issue of ''Newtype'', Anno revealed he was happy to finally recreate Eva "as he wanted it to be" in the beginning and that he was no longer constrained by technological and budget limitations.
The release schedule of the ''Rebuild'' films has experienced many delays, with the first film pushed from its original summer release date to fall 2007, and the second film's release date shifted from 2008 to summer 2009. The third film, initially announced as a simultaneous release with ''Evangelion: Final'' in the summer of 2008,
was released in fall 2012.
In 2012, the final film was briefly listed on Khara's website for a 2013 release. Later, in the August 2013 issue of
''OtonaFami'', it was announced that it would be released around winter 2015. In October 2014, Anno announced that due to other commitments, which was later revealed to be his involvement with ''
Shin Godzilla
is a 2016 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi, with a screenplay by Anno and visual effects by Higuchi. Produced by Toho Pictures and Cine Bazar and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the 31st film in the '' ...
'', the film will be further delayed to an unknown date despite the previous release date being echoed in the January 2015 issue of
''Weekly Bunshun''.
In 2019 the final film, now called ''
Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time'', was scheduled for a June 27, 2020 release date but received two delays due to concerns over the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
It was released on March 8, 2021. ''3.0+1.0'' is intended to be Anno's final ''Evangelion'' work.
To encourage staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the three released movies have been made available to watch for free at the official EVA-EXTRA app, and for a limited time, at the official YouTube channel of Studio Khara.
In contrast with the television series, Matisse Pro EB font was used for Japanese and English texts, with
Neue Helvetica
Helvetica (originally Neue Haas Grotesk) is a widely used sans-serif typeface developed in 1957 by Swiss Type design#Profession, typeface designer Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann.
Helvetica is a Sans-serif#Neo-grotesque, neo-grotesque design, ...
,
Futura,
Eurostile
Eurostile is a geometric sans-serif typeface designed by Aldo Novarese in 1962. Novarese created Eurostile for one of the best-known Italian foundries, Nebiolo, in Turin.
Novarese developed Eurostile to succeed the similar Microgramma, which ...
also used for English texts. On 10 November 2016, Fontworks began selling the Matisse EB TrueType edition family, which includes the television series and ''Rebuild of Evangelion'' versions of the font.
An updated version of the film, titled ''Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time'', was released in Japanese theaters on June 12, 2021. This version features updated cuts of various scenes while not changing the overall story of the film.
Future
Collaborative projects
In February 2022, Studio Khara,
Toei Company
() (also styled TOEI) is a Japanese film, television production, and distribution and video game developer and publishing company. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan (all but two of them operated by i ...
,
Toho Company
is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the produce ...
, and
Tsuburaya Productions
is a Japanese special effects studio founded in 1963 by special effects wizard Eiji Tsuburaya and was run by his family, until October 2007, when the family sold the company to advertising agency TYO Inc. The studio is best known for producin ...
announced a collaborative project titled "Shin Japan Heroes Universe" for merchandise, special events and tie-ins. The project will unite properties that Anno had worked on bearing the title "Shin", such as ''Rebuild of Evangelion'', ''
Shin Godzilla
is a 2016 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi, with a screenplay by Anno and visual effects by Higuchi. Produced by Toho Pictures and Cine Bazar and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the 31st film in the '' ...
'', ''
Shin Ultraman
is a 2022 Japanese superhero ''kaiju'' film directed by Shinji Higuchi and written, co-produced, and co-edited by Hideaki Anno. A reimagining of ''Ultraman'', the film is a co-production between Toho Studios and Cine Bazar, and presented b ...
'' and ''
Shin Kamen Rider''.
See also
*
''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' (franchise)
* ''
The End of Evangelion
is a 1997 Japanese anime science fiction film written by Hideaki Anno, directed by Anno and Kazuya Tsurumaki, and animated by Gainax and Production I.G. It serves as an alternate ending to the television series ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'', wh ...
''
Notes
References
External links
Rebuild of Evangelion website
*
Yahoo! Japan
is a Japanese internet company originally formed as a joint venture between the American internet company Yahoo! (later divested by Verizon into Altaba) and the Japanese company SoftBank. It is headquartered at Kioi Tower in the Tokyo Garden Terr ...
The statement by Hideaki Anno and the bulletin movie
* Anime News Network
Translation of Anno's statement
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rebuild Of Evangelion
Anime film series
Anime films composed by Shirō Sagisu
Film series introduced in 2007
Khara
Funimation
Japanese film series
Neon Genesis Evangelion films
Reboot films
Science fiction film series