| Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |||||
| Japanese name | |||||
| Kanji | シン・エヴァンゲリオン劇場版: 𝄂 | ||||
| Literal meaning | Shin Evangelion Theatrical Edition: 𝄂 | ||||
| |||||
| Directed by |
| ||||
| Screenplay by | Hideaki Anno | ||||
| Based on | Neon Genesis Evangelion by Hideaki Anno | ||||
| Starring | |||||
| Cinematography | Toru Fukushi | ||||
| Edited by | Emi Tsujita | ||||
| Music by | Shirō Sagisu | ||||
Production company | |||||
| Distributed by | |||||
Release date |
| ||||
Running time | 155 minutes | ||||
| Country | Japan | ||||
| Language | Japanese | ||||
| Budget | ¥3.26 billion ($29.7 million)[2] | ||||
| Box office | ¥10.28 billion[3] ($93.67 million) | ||||
Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (Japanese:シン・エヴァンゲリオン劇場版: 𝄂,Hepburn:Shin[a] Evangerion Gekijō-ban: 𝄂;lit. 'Shin Evangelion Theatrical Edition:𝄂') is a 2021 Japaneseanimatedepicscience fiction film co-directed and written byHideaki Anno. Produced byStudio Khara, it is the fourth and final film in theRebuild of Evangelion film series, part of theNeon Genesis Evangelion franchise.
After a protracted development and multiple delays,Thrice Upon a Time was released on March 8, 2021, and received critical acclaim, with praise given to the screenplay, animation, directing, themes, production design, voice-performances, emotional weight and satisfactory closures and answers. The film also was a box-office success, becoming the highest-grossing film of the franchise and the second-highest-grossing Japanese film of 2021 at¥10.28 billion.[5] It was released internationally on August 13 the same year via theAmazon Prime Video streaming service. On June 17, 2022, it was announced thatGKIDS had acquired the North American rights to the film. The film was released to theaters in December 2022 and on home video in October 2023.
InParis, young crewmembers from the WILLE organization, led byMaya Ibuki, work to restore the city and its defensive systems. Upon being attacked by NERV forces, they are defended by theWunder fleet andMari Illustrious Makinami inUnit-08. Mari defeats the attackers, and WILLE restores Paris.
Asuka Langley Shikinami,Rei Ayanami and a still despondentShinji Ikari are walking across the outskirts of Tokyo-3, arriving at a settlement of survivors where they encounterToji Suzuhara,Hikari Horaki andKensuke Aida, now adults. Toji is a doctor and has a child with Hikari, while Kensuke is a technician. As Shinji slowly recovers from his ordeals, Rei settles into the village working as a farmer, finding happiness. Shinji meets Ryoji Kaji Jr., the son ofMisato Katsuragi and the lateRyoji Kaji, who died averting Third Impact. Rei, lacking the constant exposure to LCL fluid required to stay alive, says goodbye to Shinji before dissolving away.
Wunder arrives to pick up Asuka and Shinji, the latter being placed in isolation. Meanwhile,Kozo Fuyutsuki helpsGendo Ikari restartUnit-13. In response,Wunder heads toAntarctica. Before the mission, Asuka and Shinji reconcile: Asuka admits her feelings for Shinji, while Shinji apologizes to Asuka for being indecisive in saving her from theNinth Angel fourteen years ago.
Wunder is attacked by three NERV ships and a swarm of EVA units. Asuka and Mari sortie and move to destroy Unit-13 before it can reactivate. However, Unit-02 refuses to attack Unit-13, forcing Asuka to remove her eyepatch, revealing theNinth Angel contained within, convertingUnit-02 into an EVA-Angel hybrid like Shinji'sUnit-01. Unit-13 overpowers and absorbs Unit-02 according to Gendo's plan. Moments before being absorbed, Asuka is approached by her "original", revealing she is a clone of the Shikinami series. Meanwhile,Wunder is attacked by a new EVA, Unit-09A.
In the NERV vessel restrainingWunder, Misato andRitsuko Akagi confront Gendo. Ritsuko shoots him to no effect, as Gendo has used the Key of Nebuchadnezzar to transcend humanity. He reveals that the purpose of the Shikinami and Ayanami clones was to enact the Human Instrumentality Project, SEELE's conspiracy to force human evolution, and enters Unit-13. Shinji asks Misato to let him pilot Unit-01; Sakura andMidori Kitakami try to stop Shinji, blaming him for the Near Third Impact, but Misato protects him and is shot in the process. Misato reminds everyone of Shinji's heroism and that he should be forgiven. Mari takes Unit-08 and merges it with Units 09A through 12. Inside Unit-01, Shinji fondly reunites with the original Rei, who gives him control.
Gendo and Shinji fight in a surreal "Anti Universe", and Gendo shows Shinji the "BlackLilith" that he will use to initiate the "Additional Impact". Shinji sees into Gendo's past experiences, including how Yui's loss traumatized him. As a result, Gendo wanted this "Additional Impact" for a chance to reunite with Yui. Meanwhile, Misato evacuates the crew ofWunder and sacrifices herself and the ship to create the "Lance of Gaius", which gives Shinji the power to rewrite the world. Shinji talks with and provides closure to Gendo; to Asuka, he returns her feelings; withKaworu Nagisa, he discovers the existence of a cycle the story's cast is trapped in. Kaworu also talks with a resurrected Kaji, who helps him understand that his own happiness shall not be tied to Shinji's.
Shinji says farewell to Rei, deciding upon a complete reset of the world where everyone can live normal lives without EVAs: a "Neon Genesis". Gendo and Yui sacrifice themselves to spare Shinji from doing so himself, bringing back all humans and animals transformed in the Near Third Impact and restoring the world. Shinji waits on a beach until Mari appears, during which her Evangelion becomes the last to disappear. The former pilots and Kaworu are all later seen ata train station, where Shinji and Mari run off in the real world.
| Character | Japanese | English |
|---|---|---|
| Shinji Ikari | Megumi Ogata Ryunosuke Kamiki (adult) | Spike Spencer |
| Asuka Langley Shikinami | Yūko Miyamura | Tiffany Grant |
| Rei Ayanami | Megumi Hayashibara | Amanda Winn-Lee |
| Misato Katsuragi | Kotono Mitsuishi | Allison Keith |
| Gendo Ikari | Fumihiko Tachiki | John Swasey |
| Mari Illustrious Makinami | Maaya Sakamoto | Deneen Melody |
| Sakura Suzuhara | Miyuki Sawashiro | Felecia Angelle |
| Ritsuko Akagi | Yuriko Yamaguchi | Mary Faber |
| Kaworu Nagisa | Akira Ishida | Daman Mills |
| Toji Suzuhara | Tomokazu Seki | Brett Weaver |
| Kensuke Aida | Tetsuya Iwanaga | Alejandro Saab |
| Hikari Suzuhara | Junko Iwao | Kimberly Yates |
| Maya Ibuki | Miki Nagasawa | Amy Seeley |
| Kozo Fuyutsuki | Motomu Kiyokawa | Michael Ross |
| Ryoji Kaji Sr. | Kōichi Yamadera | Sean Burgos |
| Midori Kitakami | Mariya Ise | Bijou Vann |
| Shigeru Aoba | Takehito Koyasu | Jaxon Lee |
| Makoto Hyuga | Hiro Yuuki | Joe Fria |
| Yui Ikari | Megumi Hayashibara | Amanda Winn-Lee |
| Ryoji Kaji Jr.[*] | Kōki Uchiyama | |
| Kohji Takao | Akio Otsuka | Jake Eberle |
| Hideki Tama | Anri Katsu | Scott Golden |
| Sumire Nagara | Sayaka Ohara | Rebeka Thomas |
^ New character
 | This article mayrequirecleanup to meet Wikipedia'squality standards. The specific problem is:Needs to be more concise and followWP:MOS better. Please helpimprove this article if you can.(July 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The film was announced alongsideEvangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo for release in 2008 as the final part of theRebuild series under the working titleEvangelion: Final. After delays of the first three films, production onEvangelion: Final formally started in 2009,[2] with a release date expected in 2015.[6] However, in 2014, following the troubled production of the third film, director and producerHideaki Anno became depressed and announced that the film would be further delayed to an unknown date, stating publicly in 2015 that he could not work on another film.[7][8] As part of his recovery, Anno had also worked onStudio Ghibli'sThe Wind Rises under his mentorHayao Miyazaki.[9][10]Toho (which co-distributes the film in Japan withToei) also approached Anno with an offer to direct a reboot of itsGodzilla film series,Shin Godzilla, which also contributed to the delay on3.0+1.0.[11] Getting Toei and Toho in the same film had been a long-standing dream of Anno's.[12] After Anno formally apologized, animation directorTakeshi Honda stated that the last film had resumed development after the production ofShin Godzilla ended in late 2016,[13][14][15] with Studio Khara tweeting on April 5, 2017, that development was going smoothly.[16]
In May 2018, the studio put out a job listing for animation staff to work on 3DCG, VFX, and 2D animation starting on June 30, 2018.[17] Animation was going through the final check by October 2, 2020.[18] Dialogue recording wrapped on November 19, 2020.[19] On December 16, 2020, Studio Khara announced that compositing and editing work had finished.[20]
Financial troubles also played a part in the film's delays. In 2014, Anno'sStudio Khara loaned his former companyStudio Gainax ¥100 million ($916,400). In 2016, Anno filed a claim fordebt collection, fearing not only for the return of the money but also because of Gainax selling production materials to third parties,[21][22] after a precedent of other sales of intellectual property without informing him.[23] This was part of several legal issues surrounding Gainax and Evangelion.[24]
Anno was very reluctant to return to work on the film in 2016.[25] In 2018, Anno had asked for the opinion of voice actors likeMegumi Ogata (Shinji) on how to move the plot forward after3.0,[26][27] as he felt he could no longer understand Shinji, and by now, his current self was closer to Gendo than Shinji, and needed Ogata's input on how Shinji could recover after the events of3.0. Anno felt that at that point the only people who could understand Shinji's feelings were Ogata herself and his personal assistant, Ikki Todoroki.[28] Anno himself had intended to go to Paris forJapan Expo 2019, but the film's continuing delays in production prevented him. Anno had often visited the film's music composerShirō Sagisu, who lives half the year in Paris, and wished to pay homage to the city in the opening 10 minutes of the movie,[29] entitledAVANT1 ("before" inFrench), seeking to surpass his earlier depiction inNadia: The Secret of Blue Water.[27] At the event, Ogata also recounted Anno had asked what ending she preferred "as Shinji".[27]AVANT1+2, including a further 2 minutes of the opening sequence, was also streamed on Khara'sYouTube channel and JapaneseAmazon Prime Video for free for two weeks.[30]
Dialogue for Parts A and B, set afterAVANT, started recording in March 2019.[31][32] As there were several changes to the plot, many voice actors had to come back and record lines again. In 2020, due to the pandemic restrictions, production slowed down further and recording was mostly done by the voice actors separately as many dozens of takes were necessary: Ogata first notified the recording as almost finished in February 2020,[33] but as production slowed down, staff began retouching several aspects of the film, and Ogata later noted recording to be finished in November 2020.[34] The voice actors organized themselves through aLine group. This created a bond between the cast that was unprecedented in previous productions.[26][35][36][37] At the end of recording, Anno thanked the cast for their contributions.Yūko Miyamura, who played Asuka, was instructed to treat her character as completely separate from the series'Asuka Langley Soryu,[37][38] and the last thing asked of her was to write the character's full name incursive herself to be used in the movie. She had lived inAustralia for the past two decades, but was still unsure of how to write "Langley". Miyamura expressed her surprise at Anno's behavior near the end of production, in contrast to his behavior during the making ofEnd of Evangelion: "Anno-san is amazing. He has become an adult".[36][39]
Anno sought to bring in new talent and people outside the usualEvangelion core crew, likeDarling in the Franxx creator Atsushi Nishigori, a protégé of his, while other core staffers like chief editor Masayuki largely stepped down in order to allow new talents to gain more experience.[40] In addition, the series' original character designer,Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, has had diminishing involvement since3.0, and the new character designs are mostly done by Hidenori Matsubara. Anno had long stated his wish to revitalize the anime industry,[41][42] and saw the sponsorship of new creators as a prime way of achieving this, as well as the promotions of events backed by Studio Khara like theJapan Animator Expo.[43] DirectorMahiro Maeda recounted Anno wanted him to figure out specific details of the plot on his own when asked. Similarly to production in the series,[44][45][46] Anno would take ideas from staffers but have the final word in plot decisions. Anno had also been an advocate of employing new and innovativeanimation technologies,[47] combined with extensive use ofmotion capture andcomputer-generated imagery, and employed them in the film.[40] Maeda and others noted nonetheless that Anno seemed to be directing the film more like alive action film than animation, including in the way he directed the voice actors, taking cues from theatre techniques,[48] after his previous experience outsideEvangelion, despite the staff's own limited experience, something he had previously attempted inCutie Honey.[49] He thought Anno "wanted to get out of here the most", but expressed his feelings in film sincerely.
DirectorKazuya Tsurumaki details Anno wanted to try a new process for the film. Instead of first creatingstoryboards and then developing the animation based on them as is traditional, Anno proposed to first draw the animationcels and then draw the scenes from them. This technique was generally referred to by staff as "pre-visualization".[50] He was once more inspired from the usual process in live action, where scenes are first shot from multiple angles and then stories are created and then selected duringediting. The latter half of the film, however, progressively returned to the traditional anime style.[51] Tsurumaki noted the original intention was that "the first 80%" of theRebuild 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 feltEnd of Evangelion could not receive a sequel,[52] and theRebuild movies were not going to be "metaphysical" like the original anime, but rather "oriented towards entertainment".[53] In 2006, Anno also stated in an interview that2.0 and3.0. a two-parter including a new-finale akin toEnd of Evangelion, would both be released by 2008. Again he revealed hisGundam inspiration, specifically fromZeta Gundam New Translation, which had itself received a compilation/remake at around the same time.[54]
This eventually changed, and major changes started happening as early asEvangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance.[55] He also noted that the previously stated goal of "destroying Evangelion" through the character of Mari was entrusted to an external party. Anno would ask the opinion of many parts of staff, including those not involved in the actual film like office staff for their opinions on several nuances.[56] Anno's wifeMoyoco Anno provided early designs for some characters.[57] Studio Ghibli also provided assistance to scenes set in the survivor's village.[58] For the village itself, Khara had abox model custom-built to orientate the artists, and Anno personally adjusted it to the smallest details like individual house layout, with road and utility posts to make it as realistic as possible.[59][60][61] Staff consulted with multiple professionals[62] and conducted research likesky-diving for maximum accuracy.[63]
Amaking-of documentary aired on Japanese broadcasterNHK on March 22, 2021, with the crew following production for 1214 days.[64]BS Japan also broadcast an extended version of the documentary on April 29, 2021, totaling 100 minutes of runtime, featuring unused footage.[65] Amazon Prime Video included the extended version of documentary in its international release of the film in August.[66] When production started in 2016, Anno initially intended to not involve himself much in the film, wishing to delegate most of it to his directors, particularly Tsurumaki, generally considered Khara's second-in-command,[43][67] but as the release date approached with mounting production problems he progressively took more control and took on more tasks directly, also driven by his perfectionism. Maeda was also not initially serving as a director, but was brought in the middle of production.[68] Kim Morrisy ofAnime News Network described it as tumultuous: "There were several occasions shown when he decided that the work he had done at the time was insufficient and would scrap it entirely. The [final] D part of the script was eventually completed in early 2019, at the latest possible stage it could have been done to meet the deadline."[69][70]
In the documentary, Anno is depicted as frequently late or absent from the studio, or would often stay overnight adjusting individual scenes he was unsatisfied with. Part A had been rewritten 40 times due to the difficulty staff had in depicting it, and at one point Anno was so lost on how to resolve the storylines he considered restarting it from scratch after nine months of work. Anno told the documentary crew he wouldn't miss working on the franchise and said everything he needed to, but felt finishing his work remained a priority, even at the expense of his well-being. He told Ogata later at post-production that he'd indeed miss it.[28] Hayao Miyazaki described Anno as "one who sheds blood for his films". Upon finishing production, Anno preferred to immediately start work on a script for a new production while his staff was watching the first screening together.[71]Gainax co-founderToshio Okada criticized the documentary as "sloppy" and "propaganda" trying to make Anno look better, claiming Anno's live-action approach in fact took inspiration fromHiroyuki Yamaga's work inRoyal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise instead of beingsui generis as the documentary implied,[72] and Anno noted the crew was in fact not present during the highly intense production of Part D for several months, nor did it cover him thanking the staff at the end.[51]
On March 28, 2021, the cast was fully reunited for the first time in 14 years and held a stage greeting, commenting on the film and their bond to the characters.[35][73][74] On April 12, 2021, directors Anno, Tsurumaki and Maeda, as well as Ogata, held another stage greeting.[75][76][77] On June 26, 2021, Anno held a live stream on singerHikaru Utada'sInstagram page, and debated the film.[78] The cast and directors also participated in theAll Night Nippon radio show on June 22, 2021.[79] On June 27, 2021, another cast greeting was held. Mari's voice actressMaaya Sakamoto explained she had been absent from the previous events because she felt apprehensive over the details she knew about Mari's character that Anno told her, but refused to share them: "I will take secrets to my grave".[80] A last stage greeting was held on July 11, 2021. Anno felt he had now done everything he could with anime, and accordingly Khara denied reports that he was working on a reboot of a popular animation series.[81] He also noted he initially attempted a shorter two hour runtime, but had to extend it.[82]
Anno had originally intended on making a newEvangelion story since 2000[83] and has intended to open up the franchise in the future to new creators and turn Eva into a "newGundam", using theRebuilds as a foundation for this,[52] but3.0+1.0 is intended to be his finalEvangelion work.[84][85][86] The Animator Expo already featured three independent works based on the franchise:Evangelion – Another Impact[87] andNeon Genesis IMPACTS, as well asuntil You come to me, a short film intended to showcase the talent of younger Khara animators, not as an official trailer.[88] In an interview in August 2021, Anno stated other parts of the franchise and story might be revisited later.[89][90] Staff also commented on doubts over this being the "end of the story".[91] On the film's first anniversary on March 8, Khara held a livestream of the film and included a Q&A session with Anno and other staff reaffirming his future plans.[92]
The film's theme song is "One Last Kiss". The song, performed byHikaru Utada and co-produced by Utada andA. G. Cook, was scheduled to be released for digital download on January 24, 2021, and as anextended play CD andLP record featuring remastered versions of the previousRebuild of Evangelion theme songs on January 27.[93] It was released alongside the film on March 9, 2021, and internationally in the summer.[94] Utada noted this was the first time they wrote the song's lyrics based on reading a finished version of the film's script, instead of simply skimming over early rough drafts.[95] Anno also directed the music video for the song.[96]
A soundtrack album, titledShiro Sagisu Music from "Shin Evangelion", was scheduled to be released on February 10, 2021,[97] but was also delayed due to the delay of the film.[98] It was released on March 17.[99] The 3-disc score utilized several revamped tracks from Sagisu's previous works for Anno, likeNadia: The Secret of Blue Water andKare Kano, as well as featuring cover versions of "VOYAGER ~ Hizuke no Nai Bohyou" byMegumi Hayashibara, originally written and performed byYumi Matsutoya for 1984'sBye-Bye Jupiter, and a cue from 1977'sThe War in Space, originally composed byToshiaki Tsushima.[100]
A vocal song based on the track "what if?: orchestra, choir and piano" from the soundtrack album titled "Shiro SAGISU << what if? >> Yoko TAKAHASHI ver." was released as a digital single on August 31, featuringYoko Takahashi and arrangements by Sagisu himself.[101]
On July 6, 2019, Khara screened the first ten minutes of the film onJapan Expo in Paris,Anime Expo in Los Angeles and CCG Expo 2019 in Shanghai.[102] The film was originally scheduled for release on June 27, 2020.[103]
In April 2020, it was announced that the film had been removed from the schedule due to concerns regarding theCOVID-19 pandemic, and the film was later rescheduled for release on January 23, 2021.[104][105] The theatrical release poster was revealed shortly afterwards with the tagline"Bye-bye, all of EVANGELION.", indicating that this would likely be Anno's finalEvangelion-related project.[106] Anno released a statement via Studio Khara's Twitter in October apologizing for the delay while confirming the film was near completion. Khara suggested the run time of the finished film could be over two hours, with the "D-part" clocking in at 41 minutes. They also reported that as of October 2 the film was undergoing a "rush check", a final check of the animation before editing.[107] On January 14, 2021, the film was removed from the release calendar again.[98] On February 16, 2021, it was reported that the film would be 154 minutes long, making it the longest film in theRebuild tetralogy and one of thelongest animated feature films ever.[108][109]
On February 26, Hikaru Utada's staff account on Twitter reported that the film's feature song "One Last Kiss" would be released on March 8, 2021, with a link to their website with more information confirming a new release date for the film of March 8, 2021.[110] This was also confirmed on Studio Khara's website, along with a runtime of 155 minutes.[1][111] A day before the first screenings, fans managed to hack into aclosed caption app intended forvisual andhearing impaired audiences, extracting the full subtitle and audio tracks, which prompted further attention.[112]
An updated version of the film, titledEvangelion: 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.[113] It also accompanied the distribution of a 36-page booklet calledEva-Extra-Extra, including non-canon illustrations by staff and a prequel manga set before the events of the previous film,Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo, calledEvangelion: 3.0 (-120min.), written by directorKazuya Tsurumaki under Anno's supervision.[114] The manga was Anno's initiative, and began production on April 11.[115]
Internationally,Amazon Prime Video acquired exclusive streaming rights to the film; it was released in worldwide on August 13, 2021, excluding Japan.[116][117] However, on July 20, 2021, Amazon Prime Video announced that it will also stream the film in Japan on the same day as its international release.[118] It featured full re-dubbings of the previousRebuild films, including several voice actors from theA.D. Vision andManga Entertainment localizations of the original series and films, in place of the mostly new cast used in theFunimation adaptations of theRebuild series andNetflix's adaptation of the series. Like Netflix's release, it also included a full re-translation by Khara's in-house translator, Dan Kanemitsu.[66]
GKIDS acquired the rights for theatrical releases of the film in North America. The film was released in the United States onIMAX in select theaters on November 30, 2022, followed by a nationwide release on December 6, 8, and 11.[119][120] It was released in the United Kingdom byAll The Anime on October 6, 2023.[121]
On October 4, 2022, Khara announced ahome media release for March 8, 2023, on the film's second anniversary, titled3.0+1.11.[122] Its limited edition includes several bonus materials, like a copy of the script signed by Hideaki Anno. All editions also accompany a bonus feature short video calledEvangelion: 3.0 (-46h), along with a re-release of the mangaEvangelion 3.0 (-120 min.) in video format in full color and voiced by the original cast.[123] In North America, GKIDS also acquired home media rights to the film,[119] with a release on October 17, 2023.[124]
Anno stated his desire to see3.0+1.0 break the ¥10 billion mark, which he considered would be a landmark for robot anime.[77] The film was released in Japan on March 8, 2021, earning ¥802,774,200 ($7,387,198) on its first day, outdoing its predecessor by 23.8%[125] and breaking theIMAX opening day record in Japan.[126] The film grossed ¥3,338,422,400 ($30,596,851) in its first week,[127] ranking No. 1 in Japan in its opening week.[128] In 21 days, the film sold 3,961,480 tickets and grossed ¥6,078,211,750 ($55,492,310) in Japan, outdoing3.0's total earnings of ¥5.3 billion.[129] In 30 days, it surpassed ¥7 billion ($63.77 million), completing four weeks as #1 in Japanese box offices.[130] On May 8, it surpassedShin Godzilla and became Anno's highest-grossing film at ¥8.28 billion ($75.72 million).[131] With the3.0+1.01 updated release on June 12, the film jumped back to top box office spot after spending a weekend out of the top 10 chart[132] and on June 15, exactly the 100th day since release, achieving a 960.5% increase,[133] reached ¥9 billion ($81.7 million).[134] On July 13, it was announced that the film has exceeded ¥10 billion, becoming the first ever film distributed by Toei to hit this box office milestone[135] and ending its theatrical run on July 21 pocketing ¥10.23 billion with an attendance number of 6.69 million people,[136] finishing with almost double as its predecessor's ¥5.3 billion mark.[137] JapaneseTwitter archival site Fusetter had its all-time highest view count on March 9.[138] After the film's August streaming release, it broke Amazon Prime Video's all-time high day-one view amount since its launch in Japan.[139] By December 2021, the movie became the highest-grossing movie of the year in Japan, accounting for over ¥10.2 billion (about US$89.5 million).[140] The film has grossed a Japanese box office total of¥10.28 billion[3] ($93.67 million).
Japanese reception has been highly positive.The Asahi Shimbun released a series of reviews from Japanese academics and critics.[141][142]Hiroki Azuma praised the film as a "grand masterpiece", and thought it was nearly impossible for the film to respond to all the "burden" it carried, but it did so successfully. He considered that, although it outwardly looks like ascience fiction film, it is in reality a confessionalI-novel by Anno.[143] Commenting on Anno's style, anime directorMamoru Oshii shared this perception, and considered that Anno is "more of a producer than a director these days" and felt that he lacked a theme.[144] In a later interview with comedianHitoshi Matsumoto, Anno himself later echoed this, saying that as a director he could afford to be a child, but not after he started producing.[145] Akiko Sugawa praised the portrayal of its female characters.[146] Japanese aggregator site Eiga.com and others[147] praised the movie for fulfilling its promise of being easily approachable to a viewer not familiar with the originalNeon Genesis Evangelion, reiterating its role as a stand-alone story, but also likening it to the series' status as a pop culture phenomenon in view of the many emerging analyses,[148] a view shared by the cast.[149] On aggregator site Filmmarks, the film attained the highest first-day satisfaction score in its history.[150]
Reviewers also noted the film's deeply divided reception amongEvangelion fans, with the ending proving particularly controversial.[151]Gainax co-founderToshio Okada promulgated an association between the character of Mari and Anno's wifeMoyoco,[152] and was rebuffed by significant backlash from Khara staff,[153][154] Moyoco,[155] and Anno himself,[156] who instead pointed out to Tsurumaki's responsibility for developing her and similarities to his earlier characters fromFLCL andDiebuster, which shared her voice actress, and Anno's detachment from her creation.[153][157] Similarly toEnd of Evangelion, reviewers considered the film to have the theme of "moving into reality", but were divided on the effectiveness of its execution and the resolution of its plot lines.[158][159]Bunshun Online concluded that unlike the 1997 film,3.0+1.0 did not intend to give viewers a mystery to solve, but to provide a more straightforward answer.[160] Writers forYahoo! Japan and others agreed on its distinctiveness from the previous work, reflecting a different cultural context and personal state of Hideaki Anno, speculating his time at Ghibli had greatly influenced him,[161] with a less multifaceted story[162] where Shinji's character had been completely "consumed" by Anno attempting to break the "Otaku curse" represented in-story by the "Curse of Evangelion",[163][147] and considered the ending could only be explained with background knowledge on Anno's life, and how this controversy would likely drive more heated discussion in the near future,[164] with fan backlash coming even at small subsequent statements by Anno[77] and other staff.[165] Writer Ichisi Lida concluded he could not decide if he liked the film or not, but felt if he watched it again after some years, he'd think it was a bad film, not feeling the same feeling of confusion mixed with amazement as 1997'sEnd of Evangelion or its 2012 predecessorEvangelion 3.0. Lida expressed disappointment at a "sense ofdéjà vu", characterizing the film a self-imitation of Anno's past works. Lida felt that Shinji's maturing was not surprising, but expected, as he had already gone through that process with the 1997 film. Similarly, he noted how the generation that grew up with theRebuild films could feel like their own coming-of-age would be marked by the film, but for an older fan such as himself, that had already happened with the 1997 movie.[166] Anno had partly re-created his hometown ofUbe as it existed during his youth for the ending scene, prompting tourism from fans to the town.[167]
In contrast to the negative receptions of its predecessorEvangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo, Western critical reception has been extremely positive. As of January 2024, it holds a100% score and an average score of 8.60/10 on review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes with 29 reviews. The website's critic consensus states, "With its characteristic boldness,Evangelion:3.0+1.01 more than thricely rewards fans with a cathartic finale to the 26-year-old iconic anime tale."[168] According toMetacritic, which calculated a weighted average score of 84 out of 100 based on 7 critics reviews, the film received "universal acclaim".[169] Richard Eisenbeis ofAnime News Network noted the film's close connections withEnd of Evangelion on a thematic and narrative level and praised its characterization, while also noting its different themes, but criticized its world-building, and also the lack of development given to Mari to justify her role in the plot.[170] Kyle McLain ofIGN praised the film for having themes of maturity, hope and positivity, but disliked the final act as "inscrutable".[171] Matt Schley ofThe Japan Times shared his opinion, saying: "Thrice is not the charm for those hoping for a definitive, easy-to-understand ending forEvangelion. Like its predecessors,3.0+1.0 raises more questions than it answers. Time is a circle."[172] Justin Harrison ofThe Spool called it "a deeply moving motion picture".[173]SoraNews24 expressed puzzlement at the ending, but noted the film is "complex, hits different people in different ways, and is something that immediately triggers a repeat-viewing reaction".[174]Crunchyroll's Daryl Harding noticed the film "goes pretty meta" and praised its direction, but repeatedly criticized the animation.[175] Otaquest's Chris Cimi noted the film builds an aesthetic that is meaningfully different from the series' "iconic visual language", to a point of contention: "The CG sure does look like CG".[176]Andrew Osmond ofNEO felt that although there were things about the film that felt "indulgent, pandering, and flat-out dumb", he felt satisfied with the film, noting a resolution ofEvangelion's baseline conflict, and felt the film managed to synthesize Anno's previous efforts into a coherent and touching ending. Although he believed theEvangelion franchise has been "bolder and more brilliant in the past", he stated that the film "brings it to a beautiful ending".[177]
The film has won the45th Japan Academy Film Prize,[178][179] and animated film categories at the Tokyo Anime Film Festival, with Anno winning the original screenplay and director categories.[180]
The film ranks on Rotten Tomatoes' Best Science Fiction Movies of 2021.[181]
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 45th Japan Academy Film Prize | Best Animation Film | Won |
| Most Popular Film | Won | ||
| 6th Crunchyroll Anime Awards | Best Film | Nominated | |
| Tokyo Anime Awards | Animation of the Year | Won |
In February 2022, a collaborative project titled "Shin Japan Heroes Universe" was announced. A joint venture between Khara,Toei Company,Toho Co., Ltd., andTsuburaya Productions, the project is intended for merchandising purposes; uniting films that Anno had worked on that bear thekatakana title "Shin" (シン・), such asShin Godzilla,Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time,Shin Ultraman, andShin Kamen Rider.[182]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
Text was copied/adapted fromEvangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon A Time at EvaGeeks wiki, which is released under aCreative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 (Unported) (CC-BY-SA 3.0) license| International | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
_Dec_2024.jpg){kind=icon}
