| The End of Evangelion | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |||||
| Japanese name | |||||
| Kanji | 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン劇場版 Air/まごころを、君に | ||||
| Literal meaning | New Century Evangelion Theatrical Edition: Air/Sincerely Yours | ||||
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| Directed by |
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| Written by | Hideaki Anno | ||||
| Produced by | Mitsuhisa Ishikawa | ||||
| Starring | |||||
| Cinematography | Hisao Shirai | ||||
| Edited by | Sachiko Miki | ||||
| Music by | Shirō Sagisu | ||||
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Toei Company | ||||
Release date |
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Running time | 87 minutes | ||||
| Country | Japan | ||||
| Language | Japanese | ||||
| Box office | ¥2.47 billion[1] / $19 million | ||||
The End of Evangelion[a] is a 1997 Japaneseanimatedapocalypticscience fiction film directed byHideaki Anno andKazuya Tsurumaki, written by Anno, and animated byGainax andProduction I.G. It serves as an alternate ending to the television seriesNeon Genesis Evangelion, which aired from 1995 to 1996.
Taking place after episode 24 of the series, the film follows the paramilitary organization Nerv as they are attacked by the secret organization Seele, who seek to initiate the Human Instrumentality Project on their own terms, while Nerv operations directorMisato Katsuragi searches for 14-year oldShinji Ikari to pilot hisEvangelion, a biomechanicalmecha. The series' voice actors reprise their roles, includingMegumi Ogata as Shinji,Yuko Miyamura as Asuka, andMegumi Hayashibara as Rei.
Shortly before the release, Anno and Gainax released another film,Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth; the first segment,Death, summarizes first twenty-four episodes of the series. The second segment,Rebirth, is a 25-minute preview ofThe End of Evangelion. In 1998, the overlapping films were edited together and released asRevival of Evangelion.
The End of Evangelion was a box-office success, grossing¥2.47 billion. It received critical acclaim, and was honored at theAwards of the Japanese Academy, theAnimation Kobe, and won the 1997AnimageAnime Grand Prix. It has been cited as one of the greatest animated films of all time.[2][3][4]
High schoolerShinji Ikari is the pilot ofEvangelionUnit-01, one of several giant cyborgs designed to fight hostile supernatural entities calledAngels. Shinji is distraught after having to kill his friend,Kaworu Nagisa, who revealed himself as an Angel in human form. He visits his fellow pilotAsuka Langley Soryu in a hospital where she lies in a coma. Trying to shake her awake, he accidentally exposes her breasts and masturbates over her comatose body.
Nerv, theparamilitary organization that controls the Evangelions, is controlled by the secret committee Seele. Seele plans to initiate the Third Impact, an apocalyptic event that will unite human consciousness. Seele discovers that Shinji's father,Gendo Ikari, the commander of Nerv, intends to create his version of Third Impact to reunite with his deceased wife, Yui, whose soul resides in Unit-01. Seele dispatches theJapanese military to seize control of Nerv and execute its staff. Nerv MajorMisato Katsuragi orders Asuka to be moved toEvangelion Unit-02 and placed at the bottom of a lake. Misato wants Shinji, who is wallowing in self-hatred, to defend Nerv and rescues him from the invading troops, who shoot her. Before her death, Misato implores Shinji to pilot Unit-01 and kisses him. Shinji discovers Unit-01 has been immobilized inbakelite.
Gendo meets the Evangelion pilotRei Ayanami, who carries the soul of the AngelLilith. Gendo possesses the body of the AngelAdam in his hand, intending to combine it with Lilith to begin the Third Impact. Meanwhile, Asuka overcomes her trauma upon learning that the soul of her deceased mother is inside Unit-02. She re-activates Unit-02 and destroys the military forces, including Seele's new mass-produced Evangelion units. Howevers, the units reanimate after Unit-02's battery runs out, allowing them to repeatedly impale Unit-02 with spears before disemboweling it. Unit-01 then breaks free and, with Shinji in the cockpit, ascends above Nerv Headquarters. Shinji sees Seele's units carrying the mutilated remains of Unit-02 and screams.
Rei betrays Gendo and takes Adam for herself. She merges with Lilith, who changes into a gigantic version of Rei. The Spear of Longinus extracts itself from the Moon, giving Seele the means to initiate the Third Impact via their scenario. The mass-produced units pull Unit-01 into the sky and crucify it, beginning the ritual to trigger the Third Impact. Lilith makes contact with Shinji. After several dreamlike contemplations, including strangling Asuka after she rejects his pleas for help, Shinji concludes he is alone and everyone in the world, including himself, should die. Lilith responds by initiating the Third Impact and dissolving human bodies into theprimordial fluid LCL, reforming their souls into asingle consciousness.
In this new state, Shinji ponders about reality, individuality and happiness. Despite his previous feelings, he eventually decides life is about experiencing pain as well as joy, leading him to reject the single consciousness with a hopeful vision involving Rei and Kaworu. His rejection causes the destruction of Lilith and the mass-produced units, setting the souls of humanity free. Yui's soul tells Shinji anyone can return to their physical body if they have the will, and they bid farewell, with Yui leaving Earth in Unit-01's body.
Shinji and Asuka lie on a shoreline in a ruined city. Shinji catches a glimpse of an ethereal Rei before being startled by Asuka. Shinji begins to strangle her, but when she caresses his face, he stops. Shinji breaks down in tears, while Asuka voices disgust.
| Character | Japanese[5] | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaijin Productions/Manga (2002)[5] | VSI/Netflix (2019)[6][7] | ||
| Shinji Ikari | Megumi Ogata | Spike Spencer | Casey Mongillo |
| Misato Katsuragi | Kotono Mitsuishi | Allison Keith | Carrie Keranen |
| Rei Ayanami | Megumi Hayashibara | Amanda Winn-Lee | Ryan Bartley |
| Asuka Langley Soryu | Yūko Miyamura | Tiffany Grant | Stephanie McKeon |
| Kaworu Nagisa | Akira Ishida | Aaron Krohn | Clifford Chapin |
| Gendo Ikari | Fumihiko Tachiki | Tristan MacAvery | Ray Chase |
| Kozo Fuyutsuki | Motomu Kiyokawa | Michael Ross | JP Karliak |
| Ritsuko Akagi | Yuriko Yamaguchi | Sue Ulu | Erica Lindbeck |
| Makoto Hyuga | Hiro Yuki | Keith Burgess | Daniel MK Cohen |
| Shigeru Aoba | Takehito Koyasu | Jason C. Lee | Billy Kametz |
| Maya Ibuki | Miki Nagasawa | Amy Seeley | Christine Marie Cabanos |
| Keel Lorentz | Mugihito | Tom Booker | D. C. Douglas |
| Ryoji Kaji | Kōichi Yamadera | Aaron Krohn | Greg Chun |
| Yui Ikari | Megumi Hayashibara | Amanda Winn-Lee | Ryan Bartley |
| Kyoko Zeppelin Soryu | Maria Kawamura | Kimberly Yates | |
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After the first broadcast of the animated seriesNeon Genesis Evangelion, some viewers felt unsatisfied with its ending. According to official information and staff statements, problems with the schedule, delays in production, and some personal indecision on the part of the directorHideaki Anno[8] led to the abandonment of the original script of the penultimate episode. In the case of the last episode, "Take care of yourself", Anno stated in an interview he had roughly followed the original plan instead.[9][10] The two final episodes, which focus on psychological introspection and longinner monologues of the protagonists,[11] met the expectations of Gainax studio's staff but became a source of discussion for fans; although the finale concluded the most important psychological themes of the series, it abandoned the main plot, giving rise to controversy.[12][13] The issue was debated throughout Japan, fueling the series' already-high popularity.[14][15] Fans demanded a new ending[16] or, at least, a conclusion that answered the open questions.[17][18] Anno also fell into a difficult psychological state. He perceived a lot of criticism towards his work, and felt he was accused of being sloppy and negligent. He also read online discussions in which some people argued about the best way to kill him; Anno thus no longer wanted to work in animation and contemplated suicide.[19]
On April 26, 1996, about a month after the final episode of the series was aired, the magazineMonthly Shōnen Ace announced that a remake of the final two episodes and a feature-length film would be produced.[20][21] The first feature film,Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth (1997), was intended to conclude the story of the original series and the second installment would have been a new story[22] with a completely different setting.[23]
The project was intended to be released as anoriginal video animation (OVA) for the home-video market, but due to the series' success, a Japanese consortium financed the project with a fund so high they chose to release it as a film. The consortium included Imagica, afilm post-production company, and fashion companies such asFiorucci, Americanino, andEdwin.[24] At the suggestion ofNeon Genesis Evangelion character designerYoshiyuki Sadamoto, the unreleased film was to be set in winter, in contrast to the eternal summer in which Japan is trapped in the animated series.[25] Anno also considered setting the show in winter; he wanted to recreate battles betweenEvangelions on snow-covered mountains, regardless of the technical difficulty executing this idea would involve.[26] In a post-apocalyptic scenario, with Earth almost destroyed and unlivable, humans would live inside an area protected by a barrier called an "AT field". Angels, the antagonistic creatures of the original series, would have attacked the area, concentrating their forces on the only bridge connecting it to the rest of the world, devouring human beings in the process.[27]
The project was planned for release in mid-1997. The production of "Rebirth", however, was delayed; so much material was produced that it was necessary to break it up into two releases.[28][29] In addition, some staff felt reluctant and harassed by the production schedule, and the release of the second movie with new material was indefinitely postponed.[30] In March 1997,Death and Rebirth was released. The work contained two segments; one of sixty minutes and one of twenty-five minutes. The first segment,Shi (シ) or "Death", is a montage of clips from the first twenty-four episodes of the series and some unreleased sequences.[31][32] The last segmentShinsei (新生) ("Rebirth") was a preview of the alternate ending. The segment includes the first twenty minutes of the following installment, ending at the beginning of the confrontation between Eva-02 and the Eva Series. Gainax then announced a second concluding feature film, which would have the same ending told from a new perspective.[33]
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After the series concluded, Anno fell into a difficult psychological state and his friend and anime directorHayao Miyazaki advised him to take a break,[34] to which Anno followed Miyazaki's advice and rested for a few months. Production for the film version ofNeon Genesis Evangelion officially began on November 8, 1996.[35] The directing of "Air" was entrusted toKazuya Tsurumaki, who had worked as an assistant director on the television series. Other Gainax studio staff members, such asMasayuki andShinji Higuchi, were involved in the process, and they collaborated on storyboards following Tsurumaki's direction.[36] Anno directed "Sincerely Yours", and was assisted in the storyboard phase by Higuchi andJunichi Sato.[37][38]
According toNeon Genesis Evangelion producer Toshimichi Ōtsuki, the staff started working onThe End of Evangelion before the series had finished broadcasting, and worked until the last minute to complete the second feature film in time.[39] Gainax initially proposed to call the workEvangelion: Rebirth 2 but the title was later changed during production.[40][41] Unlike the big media campaign forDeath and Rebirth, there was no special advertising campaign forThe End of Evangelion, and promotional activities were minimal. The authors wanted to create a funeral and "bury"Neon Genesis Evangelion;[42] Anno called the workThe End of Evangelion to represent the metaphorical death of theEvangelion project; he himself ensured that the work died with his own hands, rather than see its popularity slowly fade away.[43]
The feature film was divided into two segments called "Episode 25'" and "Episode 26'", which replace those in the animated series.[44] Like the episodes of the series, the segments in the film were given a double title; one in Japanese, and one in English. The title of the first segment was initially "The Door to Summer" (夏への扉,Natsu e no tobira), a reference toRobert A. Heinlein's 1957 science fiction novelof the same name.[45][46] The staff later opted for "Love is Destructive" or "Air", with the double meaning of "atmosphere" and music.[47] The second episode was given the Japanese titleMagokoro wo, kimi ni ("Sincerely Yours"). Following a Gainax studio tradition of titling the final episode of a series from an existing story or feature film, "Sincerely Yours" is a tribute to the 1968 filmCharly, based on the novelFlowers for Algernon byDaniel Keyes, which was distributed in Japan with the same title.[46][48] The home video editions of the series also include previews of "Air" and "Sincerely Yours" at each end of the original final episodes.[49]
Due to time constraints, the original script for "Do you love me?", the twenty-fifth episode of the series, went unused. When it was decided to resumeNeon Genesis Evangelion, Anno wrote the script of the "Air" segment based on the unused script.[50][51] The episode was structured to be as close as possible to the ending the authors originally intended.[52] For the second episode "Sincerely Yours", several narrative lines were added to the original script, deepening the themes already proposed in the final episode of the series.[37] The two endings, film and television, were conceived as conceptually identical; unlike the television conclusion, which focuses on the psychology of the protagonists, the film version addresses the Human Instrumentality Project from an external point of view, whereas in the series everything was left to the introspection of the main characters.[53] The script's tone was influenced by the staff's mood, since they were tired and exhausted. Shinji's mood changed from the twenty-fifth episode of the series, creating inconsistencies. With the sense of tension of the original series gone, the producers had difficulty; Kazuya Tsurumaki worked on the feature film, considering it unnecessary until the end.[54]
During the realization of the series andDeath and Rebirth, Anno asked anyone who worked onNeon Genesis Evangelion to suggest ways events could be closed; Anno trusted in particular Higuchi, Sadamoto, andIkuto Yamashita, mecha designer for the series.[55] One of Yamashita's proposals for the never-made feature film[16] involved the Eva-01 attacking the headquarters of the German branch of Nerv, in possession of a weapon called the "Long Range Universal Invasion Cannon", or "Dead God Spine". In the mecha designer's scenario, there would have been a war between Evangelions in a world affected by mysterious rays of light capable of turning people intowerewolf-like creatures.[56] Nerv's base would have been a sterilized stronghold surrounded by wolfmen; Shinji in a flashback would have become his Eva, with which he would have swapped bodies. The Evangelion pilots would have had weight in politics, but Asuka would have been viewed with suspicion by Nerv, and as a traitor by Germany.[57] In a scene of Yamashita's script, Shinji would have run with the werewolves, acclaimed as their king,[58] while Rei would have cold-bloodedly killed a werewolf, saying she hates animals.[59]
Additional changes were made at the script stage; in one of the opening sequences, for example, Shinji would say goodbye to his two former classmates and friends,Kensuke Aida andToji Suzuhara, at their middle school in Tokyo-3, just before their sudden departure for Germany.[60] Picking up on the last scene ofNeon Genesis Evangelion's eighteenth episode, Toji would shoot a basketball while using a wheelchair.[61] In "Sincerely Yours", Lilith and the nine Eva Series would form a triangle-shaped pattern,[62] later replaced in the final version by a horizontal Tree of Life. For the last sequence, in which Shinji strangles Asuka until the girl caresses his cheek, Anno based it on an event that happened to an acquaintance of his; the woman on one occasion was strangled by a malicious man but as she was about to be killed, she caressed him. When the man stopped squeezing her neck, the woman regained a cold attitude, uttering the words Asuka would say to Shinji in the original script, "I can't stand the idea of being killed by someone like you" (あんたなんかに殺されるのは真っ平よ).[63]
ForThe End of Evangelion, all of the voice actors from the original animated series reprised their roles, except for some characters that were excluded from the script during the writing phase, such as Toji Suzuhara and Kensuke Aida.[64] After the last dubbing session, Anno asked the cast to re-record the feature film from scratch; they completed almost every scene with detailed instructions from the director.[65] Anno asked the actors to perform as though it was a live-action film, avoiding the typical dubbing of animated products. When Anno wanted to concentrate on the dialogue and emphasize the acting of the dubbing actors, he decided to point the camera from behind, leaving the characters off-screen or in a long shot, so facial expressions and lip-synching would not affect the dubbing too much.[66] The "Air" scenes already present in "Rebirth" were also re-dubbed.[67]
Unlike the television series, which was produced in16mm format,35mm film was used for the movie.[77]Kazuchika Kise, a member ofProduction I.G and art co-director of the television series, andTakeshi Honda, the animator of theopening theme song ofNeon Genesis Evangelion, were called as directors of animation and mecha design. Shunji Suzuki, Teishi Hiramatsu, and Anno were chosen as art directors for the twenty-sixth episode. Suzuki and Hiramatsu directed the scenes, while Anno coordinated the fights between the mecha.[37] Tsurumaki was also involved in the animation and was called in at the last minute to help with the coloring process.[54] Masayuki, assistant director ofNeon Genesis Evangelion and director of Death, was co-producer of the animation, storyboards, and promotional posters. The staff instructed him to supervise the sequences in which water or waves appear, generally considered the most difficult part of animation.[37][78] Makoto Kamiya[79] was chosen as special effects director. Hisaki Furukawa andYoh Yoshinari were appointed assistant animators, Harumi Takaboshi as a colorist, Hiroshi Katō as art director, and Hisao Shirai as director of photography.[80][81]
Gainax involved the studio Production I.G, which had previously collaborated on some episodes of the original series.[37] The staff also decided to improve the quality of the segment of "Air" already included in "Rebirth". The film utilized withcomputer graphics (CG) in certain scenes to give depth to the images and exceed the quality of animation of the original television series. The most important contribution came from the studio Omnibus Japan, which worked onPatlabor 2: The Movie (1993) andGhost in the Shell (1995). Most of the computer graphics sequences were included at the beginning of the Human Instrumentality and the Third Impact scenes, in which the globe is sprinkled with cruciform lights. The companies divided the tasks by their technical needs and stylistic choices of the scenes. Production I.G worked on the scenes with 3D computer graphics, which were virtually impossible to achieve with traditional methods, such as the introductory frames of the nine units of the Eva Series, while Gainax studio developed scenes that required 2D computer graphics, such as those with computer screens.[37] The sequences of the clash between Unit 02 and the Strategic Self-Defense Forces evoke those of the battle between the AngelSachiel and the United Nations troops in "Angel Attack", the first episode of the original animated series.[82] While developing the feature film, images shown in the original twenty-fifth episode were also added, such as that of Eva-02 and Asuka at the bottom of a lake, and the corpses of Ritsuko and Misato.[53][83] Besides the CGI, short frames with watercolors were also inserted during the Instrumentality scene.[84]
Anno commissioned the sound effects to Toru Noguchi, with whom he had previously worked on the television seriesNadia: The Secret of Blue Water. Anno asked Noguchi for maximum realism, to communicate sensationscel animation was not able to express. Particular attention was given to the noise of lasers, the AT Field, and the sound of cicadas in the background, which was specially modulated to harmonize with the soundtrack. For the movements of the Evangelion units, he was asked to recreate the noise bundles of wires would make if they contracted as if they were muscles, treating them as living beings.[85] For this reason, sounds usually used in other mecha anime were avoided. The director's demands were meticulous; he specifically asked to use the sound of aWorld War II machine gun or to reproduce the sounds of particular historical ships during the process, while for the sound of the Prog-Knife, they reworked the metallic noise of a real cutter.[86] Noguchi was assisted by Makoto Sumiya, a recording engineer from Tokyo TV Center.[87]
For the realization of the segment "Sincerely Yours", it was decided to include some live-action sequences to represent Shinji's inner universe;[88] these include footage of street lamps, trains, graffiti, and the three main female voice actors of the series, Megumi Hayashibara, Kotono Mitsuishi and Yuko Miyamura. The sequences were filmed by a crew called the "Special Production Team" and were optically distorted.[89] Anno was in charge of the script and was assisted by Shinji Higuchi as the special effects director, with whom he discussed ideas and compared his opinions about every single frame of the sequences.[37] Shinji's world was portrayed with harsher tones than the television ending, so scenes were executed using multiple overlapping or reversed rhodium glasses or sequences in three-dimensional computer graphics.[90] One scene depicts a panorama of a city similar to Tokyo-3, produced by integrating elements in CGI.[16] Other shots were filmed in the Shinjuku Milano-za cinema (新宿ミラノ座), located in theShinjuku district ofTokyo.[91][92] In the final cut, editors added a shot of a cinema hall with audiences of the previousNeon Genesis Evangelion feature film,Death and Rebirth.[93]
At the end of the segment, stills depicting graffiti on the walls of the Gainax Shop, doodles, and emails apparently written by fans of the series,[94] including the words "Anno, I'll kill you!!" (庵野、殺す！！), were inserted.[95] The letters were createdad hoc by the staff on the basis of some emails Gainax received.[96] According to an official pamphlet on the movie, the production of the fake e-mails simulated the hypothetical reactions of fans to reflect on the relationships that are established "between a work and its admirers".[90]
Originally, the authors had planned a longer live-action segment with a different content than the final version.[93][97] The original segment revolved around the character Asuka, who would wake up in an apartment after drinking and spending the night with Toji Suzuhara, with whom she would engage in a sexual relationship. Misato Katsuragi would have been the roommate of the apartment next to hers, and Rei Ayanami, in the original series her rival, would have been her colleague and one of hersenpai, experiencing a less-strained relationship. In the alternative universe presented in the live-action footage, Shinji would have never existed; walking through the streets of Tokyo-2 city, however, Asuka would have heard the boy's voice calling her.[98]
Some of the unused scenes were used for the film's trailers. During production, Anno decided to cut the segment; according toEvangelion Chronicle magazine, the director decided this after the unplanned double-theatrical release of the ending.[16] Recording work began on January 19, 1997, continuing for several days. Sessions took place in the snowy city ofMatsumoto,Nagano Prefecture, where the filming of pylons, bodies of water, and urban scenes for Tokyo-2 was done. Filming also occurred in Kōfu, while those for the scene set in a movie theater were held on March 14 at the premiere ofDeath and Rebirth. On May 8, filming was held with three dummies of Rei, Asuka, and Misato on a street in a Japanese city, finishing on May 10, when Anno and the other crew members filmed at a playground.[99]
The soundtrack ofThe End of Evangelion was composed byShiro Sagisu, who also wrote the music for the original series. The film also uses a wide selection of pieces by classical composerJohann Sebastian Bach. The twenty-fifth episode was titled "Air" to pay homage to the second movement of the orchestral suite No. 3, known as "Air on the G String", which was used in one of the episode's key scenes. The second half of the film also includes the tenth movement of Bach's cantata "Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben".[37] The use of classical music in violent scenes has been compared to that ofStanley Kubrick's works.[100] In an interview, Anno was asked about similarities with Kubrick, but he claimed that his films did not influence him "that much".[101]
A version of "Air on the G String" was arranged and recorded by Sagisu,[102] while an existing recording of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" was used. Two original songs were written for the movie; "Thanatos: If I can't be yours" is based on the soundtrack of the original series and was performed bygospel music singer Loren and artist Martin Lascelles under the stage name "Mash". Loren recorded the single in June 1997 in London under the supervision of Toshimichi Ōtsuki.[103][104] The song was later used for the credits placed between the two segments ofThe End of Evangelion.[37]
The second song, "Komm, süsser Tod" ("Come, sweet death") was performed by Arianne. The English lyrics were translated from lyrics by Anno. An official booklet noted that the device of a song written by the director and used in a concluding feature of an animated series had been used years earlier forMobile Suite Gundam III: Encounters in Space, the third feature of theMobile Suit Gundam series.[105] The song shares a name with the Bach composition "Komm, süßer Tod, komm selge Ruh", and the melody has been compared to that of "Hey Jude" bythe Beatles.[106] Sagisu attempted to spin the guitar sound of "Komm, süsser Tod" in rotation from all surround outputs. Anno asked him to compose a piece so everything from harmonic progressions to instrument overlays would match the screen images.[107] A Japanese song sung by preschool children was used in "Sincerely Yours" to add realism to a playground scene. Producer Satsukawa and a special production team visited Haishima Municipal Kindergarten inAkishima, Japan, which was attended by the daughter of Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, co-founder of Production I.G, to record the song.[37]
Eighteen songs were composed and recorded forThe End of Evangelion.[37] In addition to "Komm, süsser Tod", a song called "Everything You've Ever Dreamed" was intended to be included in the human instrumentality sequences; it was discarded during production but included on the albumRefrain of Evangelion.[105] The soundtrack was released as two albums in August and November 1997.[108]
Like the original series,The End of Evangelion features numerouspsychological,philosophical, andreligious themes and imagery, in a style called "pedantic" in the official materials.[109] Anno inserted terms to create atmosphere and make it seem as though there is something deeper behind it so, in his own words, he could sound "intelligent".[110][111] Throughout the film, elements ofJudaism andChristianity are mentioned, such as thenumber of the beast, 666,[112][113] thetree of life,[114] theTree of the Sephiroth, theCatholicstigmata,[115][116] theuniversal flood,Noah's Ark, theGenesis creation narrative,[117] and theBook of Revelation.[118]
In the early stages of Instrumentality, the Eva Series forms a giant Sephirotic Tree in the sky[119] and each Eva assumes the role of asephirah.[118][120] Shinji appears at the sephirah ofTiferet[82] at the time of his metaphorical sacrifice.Slant Magazine's Micheal Peterson noted that Tiferet inChristian Kabbalah is identified withChrist on the cross, and thus to the place where the sacred meets the profane.[121]Anime Invasion magazine also noted 16th-century Jewish mystical writings predict a decline of the divine light in every human being, followed by the destruction of humanity in a catastrophic event.[122] Eva-01 transforms into the Tree of Life, which an official pamphlet on the film links to the inverted tree of the Kabbalah and a similar tree found inHindu scriptures.[118] Seele thus names a "Red Earth Purification Ceremony", in which its name is linked to theories about the etymology of the name Adam, according to which it means "earth", or "red". The purification ceremony also constitutes a reference to themisogi, aShinto religious ceremony of blessing.[118] The chamber ofGuf is also mentioned during Instrumentality, opened by Rei Ayanami.[123] In the original storyboard, the term indicates Lilith's stigmatas.[124] Eva-01 is used as a "medium", oryorishiro, in the process. According to official materials, the Shinto term "medium" refers to an object that attracts divine spirits, known askami, or acts as a medium through which these souls manifest.[118][125] Seele also describes Instrumentality as arite of passage;Evangelion Chronicle magazine linked the term toArnold van Gennep's anthropological concept of the same name and the sacrament ofbaptism.[126]
The film also references thepsychoanalysis ofSigmund Freud, including the dichotomy betweenEros and Thanatos. According to critics, the characters are constantly caught between the sexual drive and the life drive orlibido and the destructive, suicidal drive ofdestrudo theorized byEdoardo Weiss.[127] According toEvangelion Chronicle, the presence of destrudo in Shinji's mind is necessary to initiate Instrumentality.[128] Scenes from the film have been interpreted as a representation of Shinji's sexual instincts, such as those in which he sees Asuka in bed or Misato having sex with her loverRyoji Kaji. Other scenes have been interpreted as a representation of his death drive, such as the one in which he destroys a sand pyramid and the one in which he strangles Asuka and childish drawings of dead animals appear.[129] According to writers Kazuhisa Fujie and Martin Foster, the lyrics of the film's two songs "Thanatos" and "Komm, süsser Tod" emphasize the importance of the drive dialectic for the protagonist's path.[130] Fujie and Foster linked the Instrumentality Project, in which Shinji wishes for the death of all human beings—including his own—to Thanatos and destrudo. In the final scenes ofThe End of Evangelion, the boy rejects the process and Yui tells him all living beings have the ability to regain their human form and the desire to continue living, enforcing the life drive.[131] Critics also identified the psychological concept of the return to the womb in the core of Eva-01,[132] in the stigmata and on Lilith's forehead, and in the shape of the sandpit in which Shinji as a child builds a sandcastle.[121]
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For the plot ofThe End of Evangelion, the staff took inspiration from Japanese works such asDevilman byGō Nagai,Ideon: Be Invoked byYoshiyuki Tomino,[133][134] and the final chapter of theSpace Runaway Ideon series, in which the extermination of the human race is proposed in a scenario similar to that ofThe End of Evangelion. Critics have linked the massacre of Nerv personnel to the slaughter of the Solo Ship,[135] the Tree of Life to the Ide, and the Third Impact to the finalArmageddon perpetrated by the Ideon.[136] Anno was also influenced by the final volume of Miyazaki'sNausicaä of the Valley of the Wind manga.[137]
Other critics have compared the apocalyptic vision ofThe End of Evangelion to that of earlier works of science fiction, such asGreg Bear'sBlood Music andArthur C. Clarke'sChildhood's End.[135][138]Ex magazine reviewer Scott Rider likened "Air" to the works ofHarlan Ellison,[139] while critic Nozomi Oomori and writer Hiroyuki Morioka have comparedThe End of Evangelion's crypticity to that ofStanley Kubrick's 1968 film2001: A Space Odyssey, as well as towidescreen baroque science fiction, which is characterized by extravagance, violence, and intricate plots. Takahashi Watanabe ofAnimage magazine noted an image of a planetarysyzygy appears in the film’s second half, as does one in Kubrick's2001.[140] Other sequences have been interpreted as a tribute toKarel Thole's illustration on the cover ofHoward Fast's science fiction collectionThe General Zapped an Angel, which depicts the face of a giant being lying on a red sea.[141] Esther Rosenfield argued that the films use of editing techniques such as rapid cutting,superimposition, and the scratched-on Gainax logo was influenced by experimental filmmakerStan Brakhage.[142]
The End of Evangelion was written as a reflection of the staff's state of mind, particularly that of Anno.[54][143]Animage magazine described it as ashishōsetsu (I-novel), Japaneseconfessional literature.[140] Anno also described his self-exposure as a "masturbation" show in interviews.[144] According to the interpretations of some fans, Shinji represents Anno and Asuka would represent Asuka's voice actor Yūko Miyamura, whom some had rumored was romantically involved with Anno.[145] Fans also interpreted the violent scenes as a response to the criticism raised after the conclusion of the original series[146] and as retribution against fans.[147][148] According to Kazuya Tsurumaki, the ending was conceived as violent and dark from the beginning; "It wasn't a bitterness toward the fans. A lot of people think anime should always have happy endings, but that's not always the case. We wanted to educate the fans that anime can have bitter endings."[149]
In the final scene ofThe End of Evangelion, Shinji awakens with Asuka on a deserted beach; Shinji strangles Asuka, who then caresses his cheek. He begins to cry, loosening his grip, as she says, "How disgusting". Academic Mariana Ortega has interpreted the two characters, who escaped the Third Impact, as theAdam andEve of a new humanity.[150] According to Hiroyuki Morioka, everyday life will begin again.[140] Asuka's final sentence also become a subject of debate among fans of the series, along with Shinji's strangulation of her.[140] The websiteAnimeNation considered the phrase "I feel sick" as Asuka's realization of the existence of another human being, Shinji. Asuka says the same phrase in a scene of the director's cut of the twenty-second episode; disgusted by human contact, she refuses to share space and her existence with Shinji or Misato. According to AnimeNation, Shinji strangles Asuka to prove to himself she is a distinct being,the Other, while Asuka's final words may be a reworking ofJean-Paul Sartre's quotation; "Hell is other people".[151] In the official figurine game of the series, a similar explanation is given:
Shinji renounced the world where all hearts had melted into one and accepted each other unconditionally. His desire to live with 'others'—other hearts that would sometimes reject him, even deny him. That is why the first thing he did after coming to his senses was to place his hands around Asuka's neck. To feel the existence of an 'other'. To confirm rejection and denial.[152]
According to the contemporary artist and writerTakashi Murakami, Shinji, by attempting to kill Asuka, is asking her for help and seeking understanding. Asuka feels disgusted because she sees Shinji as pathetic and capable of communicating only with himself, and his response represents to Murakami society's view of him.[153] In contrast to the optimistic tone of the series finale, Shinji stops the strangulation only because he begins to cry and feels disgusted with himself. With the final sentence, Asuka regains the pride and selfishness that distinguish her character; according to critics, the words "I feel sick" suggest no character has changed or become a better person, and that the film's events have no meaning.[154][155] Nozomi Omori compared the scene toJ. G. Ballard's collection of science fiction short storiesThe Terminal Beach.[140] Writer Kazuhiza Fujie interpreted the strangulation as a reference to theFreudian Thanatos, which is present in every moment of life, and to the impossibility of living alone, which is reflected in the title "I need you". Shinji, according to Fujie, loosens his grip by letting his libido prevail again towards the Other, Asuka, giving her his sincerity.[131] Assistant director Tsurumaki also gave his interpretation of the sequence, saying:
"Well, my personal view is, 'Do we really need to complement these troubles of the heart?' Regardless of whether or not we are complemented, have troubles, or find our answers, interpersonal relations exist, and the world goes on. I thought the last scene meant to say that life goes on, but I could be wrong".[54]
The End of Evangelion takes up the main message of the series, creating a "story of communication".[54] The feature film has been interpreted as a criticism ofotaku—obsessive fans of animation, video games, and comic books.[156][157] Hideaki Anno, anotaku himself, considers them excessively closed, self-referential, and introverted; after the end of the series, he criticized fans who were absorbed by the Internet and escaping from reality, saying their opinions are like "graffiti in public toilets".[158] In 1996, Anno said he was disappointed with the reception of the original series, which had become a place of refuge in which to escape from unpleasant things.[159] He then received criticism, and said; "My own feeling is all about the message I put at the beginning of the twenty-sixth episode. There is no fiction in that shot. It's real, and it's true".[160] His intention withThe End of Evangelion was to "purify" viewers, make them wake up, and return to the real world. In Anno's view, such criticism, despite its appearance, is a form of "fan service that doesn't seem fan service", because it is still useful to viewers.[111][161] According to Kazuya Tsurumaki:
But when all is said and done, Hideaki Anno's comments onEvangelion are that it is a message aimed at anime fans including himself, and of course, me too. In other words, it's useless for non-anime fans to watch it. If a person who can already live and communicate normally watches it, they won't learn anything. ... Don't drag the past around. Find the next thing that interests you. ... It's always better to let something that has finished [Evangelion] end.[54]
Instrumentality, in which the individual's physical existence fades into an accommodating cosmic fusion, has been interpreted as a metaphor for the plight ofotaku.[162] The film, according to Japanese critic Manabu Tsuribe, ends at the moment when Shinji recognizes Asuka as a being separate from himself, the Other who can never be completely internalized by consciousness, rejecting Instrumentality. For Shinji, interpreted by some as a representative ofotaku and Anno, Asuka is an ambiguous existence that escapes his control and her ambiguity represents the ambiguity ofEvangelion; their relationship is marked by violence and possessiveness, in an ironic criticism of the escapist tendency of animation fans, who are unable to relate to other people and closed in their interiority.[163] According to Nozomi Omori, the film is about "living with anime", and would be interpretable as Anno's attempt to argue with himself. Omori and Tsuribe both comparedThe End of Evangelion toMamoru Oshii'sUrusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer,[140][163] in which the setting is found to be a dream, a world based on Lum's wishes, and one returns to an animated reality, while inEvangelion "after hearing 'I feel sick' one cannot return to the animated world" and is immediately thrown into real life.[140]
In the second part ofThe End of Evangelion, Shinji argues with Rei Ayanami, questioning the nature of dreams. During the live scene, Ayanami tells him one cannot dream alone because it would not be a dream, only an alternative to reality, accusing him of wanting to deceive reality with his fantasy. Along with Rei's spoken lines, photographs of graffiti on Gainax offices and images of fans at Shinjuku Milano cinema appear on the screen, so the concept of the dream has been interpreted as a metaphor for anime. In the overlay, the authors inserted the caption "Does it feel good?" (気持ち、いいの？);[93] the question, according to a pamphlet onThe End of Evangelion, is addressed to both fans and staff members ofNeon Genesis Evangelion.[164] According to Yūichirō Oguro, editor of materials from the home video editions of the series, the segment was included to show animation fans have the same problems as Shinji and criticizing fans who take refuge in fiction.[165] According to Andrea Fontana, a writer and scholar of Japanese animation, at that moment theotaku "could admire themselves, discuss themselves, just as Shinji did with himself", interpreting the scene as "a desirable rebirth for everyone".[166] At the end of filming, moreover, the Lilith in Rei's guise dismembers and Shinji rejects the cosmic fusion of Instrumentality. According to Oguro, the series' most popular character Rei representsNeon Genesis Evangelion'spleasure principle and her dismemberment indicates the end of theotaku dream and a return to the real world.[93]
A wide range of merchandising products dedicated toThe End of Evangelion, including posters, drinks,[167] action figures and clothing, were distributed prior to its release.[168][169] An official, A4-sized, illustrated booklet aboutEvangelion containing explanations and interviews with staff and voice actors was sold in theaters for ¥800; it was dubbed the "Red Cross Book" by Western fans.[170] In 1997,Kadokawa Shoten released twomanga volumes ofThe End of Evangelion: one on "Air", on October 28, 1997, and the other on "Sincerely Yours", on November 18 of the same year.[171][172] In 2015, for theBlu-ray DVD Box release ofNeon Genesis Evangelion, TV spot previews for the film were also included.[173]
Bandai distributed a trading card game calledEvangelion Carddass Masters G (エヴァンゲリオン カードダスマスターズG), which was released in September 1998 as a supplement to the Japanese magazineRPG.[174] Production materials such as storyboards, sketches, and preparatory studies were collected in two books calledGroundwork of Evangelion: The Movie, which were published on October 26, 2001, and January 18, 2002, respectively.[175][176] In 2012, during the Shiohaku Expo 2012 event, a reproduction of Rei Ayanami's character was built near the headquarters ofNippon Television, taking inspiration from the scene in which Rei assumes a giant size after joining Lilith.[177]
The End of Evangelion was theatrically released in Japan on July 19, 1997. Pre-sales began on May 17; customers with unused tickets forDeath and Rebirth were permitted to use them for the movie.[178] Viewers were given copies of the film's official poster. A preview was held on July 17 at Yomiuri Hall Cinema.[179] In 1998, the feature filmsDeath & Rebirth (1997) andThe End of Evangelion (1997), partially overlapping, were merged by removing the part in common and re-released asRevival of Evangelion,[180] which was released in theaters on March 7, attracting over 300,000 people.[181] In 2006,The End of Evangelion was screened as part of theTokyo International Film Festival inAkihabara.[182] In 2014, theRevival of Evangelion version was screened at Toho Cinemas inNihonbashi during the 27th edition of the same festival.[183] On August 28 and 29, 2015, to celebrate the release of the Blu-ray box set of the series, the film, along with the first episode ofNeon Genesis Evangelion, "Angel Attack", were screened at Toho Cinema inShinjuku, Tokyo.[184] On December 4, 2020, a new run forRevival of Evangelion in special screenings across Japan between January 8 and 22, 2021, was announced.[185]
On August 12 and September 9, 1998, twoLaserdiscs called "Genesis 0:13" and "Genesis 0:14" containing "Air" and "Sincerely Yours", were released as part of the home video edition of the original series.[186][187] On December 23, 1998, of the same year, a Japanese Laserdisc box set calledShinseiki Evangelion gekijō-ban Box LD (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン劇場版BOX LD; "Neon Genesis Evangelion movie version Box LD") containing a version ofDeath & Rebirth calledDeath(true)² and both segments ofThe End of Evangelion was released.[188][189] The box set also included extras, an illustrated booklet, and the storyboards of the feature films.[190] In June 2001, the films were released as part of a release called Second Impact Box.[191]
In 2003, Gainax released a DVD edition of the animated series called "Renewal";The End of Evangelion's sound was significantly improved with a new 5.1chsurround sound track. The dialogue, music, and sound effects were reviewed and remixed under Anno's direction; musics were also remixed for 5.1ch.[192] The stereo mix for "Magokoro wo, kimi ni" took place on March 12 and 13, the one for "Air" on March 15, 2003.[193] The new version ofThe End of Evangelion was included in the tenth release of the Renewal edition and production materials were included on the eleventh DVD;[194][195] a DVD box set containing all twenty-six episodes of the series and the two concluding feature films[196][197] was released in June of the same year. The films were excluded from the "Western Platinum Edition", which is based on the Japanese Renewal. A version of the discarded live-action sequence was included in "Renewal of Evangelion" and subsequentBlu-ray editions. Although it is incomplete due to the loss of original materials after the plan was changed mid-filming, Hideaki Anno chose to recreate, as much as possible without additional filming or recording, the concept he had at that time. Shinji's line at the end, which had not been recorded at the time, was added in by Anno himself.[198]
King Records released a box set withRevival on August 1, 2007, under the title "Neon Genesis Evangelion DVD-Box '07 Edition".[199] In August 2015, to celebrate the series' 20th anniversary,The End of Evangelion was released in aBlu-ray box set ofNeon Genesis Evangelion in HD video.[200][201] In June 2019, in conjunction with the release onNetflix, the Blu-rays were re-released.[202]
North American companyA.D. Vision, responsible for the original series' adaptation, was initially uninterested in acquiringThe End of Evangelion's distribution rights because Gainax demanded too high a fee for the licenses. In July 1998, A.D. Vision announced it would negotiate with Gainax to release the film overseas.[203] In 1999, the rights were purchased for US$2 million by the companyManga Entertainment.[204] The company announced the release of the Western edition ofThe End of Evangelion for October of the same year but the release was postponed.[205][206] Manga Entertainment initially stated they would interview Anno and Tsurumaki to provide Western fans with an explanation of the feature film, but no interviews were included in the final DVD release and the release date was again postponed to September 2002.[207][208]
Rei Ayanami's English-language voice actorAmanda Winn Lee wrote the script forThe End of Evangelion's English subtitles and dubbed adaptations, and produced and directed the dub.[209] While most of the voice actors reprised their roles in ADV's English adaptation of the series, several supporting roles were recast as their original actors were unavailable. To accommodate voice actors living in different US locations, the dub was recorded inLos Angeles,Houston, andNew York City.[210] In late 2020, the theatrical and home-video rights to the film, theDeath (True)² version ofDeath, and the television series were acquired byGKIDS in North America andAnime Limited in the United Kingdom.[211]
The End of Evangelion was included in the Standard Edition, the Collector's Edition and the Ultimate Edition Blu-ray releases of the series in late 2021.[212] Also included was extra content, such as the deleted live-action scene and a short documentary about its making.[213] In the United Kingdom, Anime Limited screenedDeath (True)² andThe End of Evangelion in theaters on November 11 and 14, 2021.[214][215] Despite Anime Limited promising the Manga Entertainment English-language dub, theDCP file distributed to theaters for the November 11 screenings was compiled using the more recent Netflix dub. This error was rectified in time for the November 14 screenings.[216]
On February 21, 2024, GKIDS announced a nationwide theatrical North American run for March 17 and 20, in its original Japanese with English subtitles.[217] It grossed $1.31 million in the United States and $1.58 million worldwide from 570 locations.[218]
| Title | Release | Units sold |
|---|---|---|
| DVDThe Feature Film | September 22, 1999 | 16,000 |
| Second Impact DVD-Box | June 22, 2001 | 4,000 |
| Neon Genesis Evangelion DVD-box | June 25, 2003 | 26,000 |
| Revival of Evangelion new edition | November 27, 2003 | 32,000 |
| DTS Collector's Edition | November 3, 2004 | 1,000 |
| DVD-Box '07 Edition | August 1, 2007 | 26,000 |
In 1997,Neon Genesis Evangelion in Japan was at the center of national debates and became asocial phenomenon. It thus attracted to theaters a large number of people who were intrigued by the controversy surrounding the original ending. The film version also drew the attention of newspapers, as well as people who were not normally interested in animation.[220][221]The End of Evangelion's audience exceeded that ofDeath and Rebirth, drawing 400,000 viewers in the first three days of its release.[144] It finished in third place at the Japanese box office for the week, behindThe Lost World: Jurassic Park andHayao Miyazaki'sPrincess Mononoke.[222] The movie earned approximately ¥1.5 billion in Japanesedistributor rentals, equivalent to about$12 million at the time, becoming the fourth-highest-grossing Japanese feature film of 1997.[223] Japanese media were attracted by the contrast between the film's poster and that ofPrincess Mononoke, which also contained mature and violent themes;Princess Mononoke poster said "Live!", whileThe End of Evangelion reported the line "Wouldn't it be nice if everyone would just die?".[224][225] Anticipation was high; in Japan, long lines formed for tickets to the premiere, drawing additional media attention.[226][227]
The End of Evangelion became controversial due to its scenes of sex and violence. Discussions were generated by the opening scene, in which Shinji masturbates to Asuka's body while she is comatose; fans considered the scene one of the most unpleasant in the history of Japanese animation.[228] The debate on the two endings ofEvangelion continued, remaining a source of controversy on the Internet even twenty years after the film's release.[229][230] Further controversy occurred when the film aired at midnight on August 25, 2014, onNippon Television. NTV cut and censored some sequences, provoking protests from both fans and the authors.[231][232] On August 30 of the same year, it was broadcast on the TBS television network at 2:53 am, gaining an audience share of 0.9%.[233]
The film's soundtrack album, which was released in September 1997, sold over 100,000 copies in its debut week.[234] Sales exceeded expectations and the album the top-three of theOricon album charts, which no anime soundtrack sinceGalaxy Express 999 had achieved, and which remained the case for another ten years.[235] The soundtrack sold about 400,000 units, together with 600,000 copies of the single "Thanatos".[236] According to a 2015 estimate by Merumo.ne.jp,The End of Evangelion grossed ¥2.5 billion in total, or over$20 million since 1997.[1]Manga Entertainment's English edition took the twentieth spot among the best-selling DVDs of its debut week in the US.[237]
In 1998,The End of Evangelion was number one in theAnime Grand Prix, an annual survey of the best contemporary anime by the Japanese magazineAnimage. The song "Thanatos - If I Can't Be Yours" ranked fourth in the category related to the best music tracks.[238] According toComic Book Resources,The End of Evangelion, with 8.51 points, was the anime purchased byNetflix with the highest deck on theMyAnimeList platform in 2020,[239] and with a score of 8.1, among the highest-rated Japanese animated films on theInternet Movie Database in 2021.[240]
The End of Evangelion received mostly positive reviews from critics upon release and has been frequently listed as one of the greatest anime films.[2] On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 92% of 12 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 9/10.[241]Paste listed it in 46th place in its list of the best anime movies, praising its surrealism and experimentalism,[242][243] while the Japanese film magazineCut named it third.[244] Writer Patrick Macias named it one of ten best films,[245] describing it as the most important anime film of the 1990s,[246] whileSlant Magazine ranked it the 42nd-best science-fiction film.[247]Anime News Network's Nick Creamer said it was the best ending in Japanese animation, praising Asuka's strangulation scene as one of the most cathartic images in any medium.[248] The battle between Asuka and the nine units of the Eva Series was described by Real Live as a scene that "probably left a mark on the history of Japanese animation",[249] and as "the beating heart of the film" byComic Book Resources.[250] Anime News Network's Mike Crandol also praised the battle as the best of the series.[251] Digitally Obsessed describedThe End of Evangelion as "one of the most unique Japanese animated features sinceAkira".[252] In a poll of animators and directors held byTime Out New York,The End of Evangelion was voted the 65th-best animated film.[3]Robbie Collin writing forThe Daily Telegraph ranked it the 29th greatest animated film of all time.[4]
The violent scenes and underlying pessimism were generally well-received.[254][255] Several reviewers praised the action scenes, animation, soundtrack,[256] themes,[257] and direction.Animage magazine, among others, praised the apocalyptic vision ofThe End of Evangelion, calling it "a beautiful nightmarish spectacle [that] overwhelms the viewer".[135]Little White Lies's Kambole Campbell praised the animation, the apocalyptic themes, and Anno's breaking of thefourth wall with the use ofanimatics, hand-drawn sketches, and live-action shots.[258]Vice's Gita Jackson[259] and Mania.com reviewers[260][261] called it a masterpiece. Sagisu's soundtrack also received praise from Tiffani Nadeau of Mania.com.[262]
Other reviewers criticized the confusing narrative and philosophical musings.[263]Gizmodo's Rob Bricken criticized its nihilism and pessimism.[264]THEM Anime Reviews's Carlos Ross also said the second half "is so incoherent and obtuse that it completely loses the mainstream audience (and in fact, virtually any audience) this series has attracted before". Ross also saidThe End of Evangelion "goes beyond art film ... and beyond anime. And in doing so, it goes beyond the audience's capability to understand and be entertained, which defeats the purpose of something labeled as entertainment."[265] Matthew Wise of The Anime Cafe criticized its character development and heavy philosophical references, preferring the final episode of the series.[266] According to Anime-Planet,The End of Evangelion "falls apart under its own philosophical weight"; the reviewer criticized its "pompous symbolism", calling it "pretentious and disappointing", and concluded that it was among the worst anime they had seen.[267]
The websiteScreenCrushlistedThe End of Evangelion among the most disorienting films.[268]Newtype USA panned it, calling it the "saga of bamboozlement", criticizing its "biblical overtones, teen melodrama and bad parenting", eliciting protests fromManga Entertainment,The End of Evangelion's North American distributor.[269][270] The cultural references were praised by other critics, such asMark Schilling,[271] and was defended by writer Brain Camp, who wrote: "Not all great anime is meant to be understood on first viewing ... You don't always have to understand something to enjoy it. A work of great art in a museum or gallery is not always easily understood but one can still be gripped by it."[272] Chris Beveridge of Mania.com also liked the density of symbolism: "From trash to philosophical enlightenment, action extravaganza to a movie heavy in symbolism. Interpretations will vary greatly, and that to me is a sign of a very good movie."[273][3]The End of Evangelion was honored at theAwards of the Japanese Academy,[145] theAnimation Kobe[274][275] and the 15th Golden Gloss Awards.[276]
According toDazed,The End of Evangelion was an influence onWes Anderson's filmIsle of Dogs (2018), noting that Anderson was a fan of the series.[277] The fight sequence between Asuka's Eva-02 and the nine Eva Series was a source of inspiration for animators such as Yoshimichi Kameda and Yokota Takumi, character designer ofLove Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club.[278][279] The film inspiredTetsuya Ogawa ofL'Arc-en-Ciel, who wrote a song titled "Anata" (あなた; lit. "you") taking cues from Asuka's character, hoping she would be able to express her emotions during the film.[280] The bandParkway Drive used clips from the film for their extended playDon't Close Your Eyes.[281]
Manga artistNobuhiro Watsuki lauded "the dramatization, the movement, and the editing" of the film and stated that, "As a writer, I was able to take home something from it".[282] The film has been referenced by the American animated seriesSteven Universe,[283] the filmOne Hour Photo byMark Romanek,[284] the animeClaymore,[285]Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei,[286]Keroro Gunso,[287]Chainsaw Man[288] and the last episode ofDevilman Crybaby, an adaptation of Nagai's manga that inspired Anno.[289]GameRant saw a possible reference to the Third Impact scenario presented in the film inBleach: Thousand-Year Blood War.[290]ComicBook.com similarly interpreted a scene fromMy Hero Academia in which the character of Muscular mentions that he has "twelve thousand layers" of his muscle armor, a possible reference to a line fromThe End of Evangelion in which Asuka says that Eva-02 has "twelve thousand plates of fortified armor"; the website also noted thatMy Hero Academia's author,Kohei Horikoshi, is a fan ofEvangelion.[291] The Chinese animated filmOne Hundred Thousand Bad Jokes also pays homage toThe End of Evangelion in its final sequences, in which a musical piece similar to "Komm, süsser Tod" is heard.[292] According toIndieWire's David Ehrlich, an apocalyptic scenario similar to that ofThe End of Evangelion is presented in the video gameDeath Stranding, written and directed byHideo Kojima.[293]
A medium is an object to which a diverse spirit is drawn or that shows the appearance of a divine spirit.
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