Neon Genesis Evangelion It’s a strange series. Not even just because of its content, although that does go to some strange and complicated places, but because it never really ends. You have an original, iconic ’90s series that opens every episode with objectively the best animated openings ever made, made up of 26 episodes and one movie (two if you count the compilation movie Movie). Then, ten years later, series creator Hideaki Anno decided to make it again, this time as a film series, with the plot going in a completely different direction narratively starting with the second film.
When the fourth film finally arrived in 2021, with a nearly decade gap between it and the third, it provided the anime with a strong but deeply flawed thematic and narrative conclusion. I love it, I hate it, it both should be and shouldn’t be, and it feels like catharsis to get away from it in a way. It feels like there’s not much to say, even though this is an imperfect movie.Then, earlier this week, Anno said something during an interview with The Asahi Shimbun (via Anime News Network) that immediately triggered my fight-or-flight response and queued up a showdown on my internal broadcast: ” There may be plans for “more Neon Genesis Evangelion anime, but probably nothing to do with “except [himself]”Lead it. Dear reader, this sounds like a terrible idea to me.
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I’m fully aware that there are other interpretations of Neon Genesis Evangelion in various media. Both the PS2 and Dreamcast have a ton of visual novels, manga adaptations, and more. I get it! They exist to capitalize on a hugely popular anime, and the game in particular allows players to live out their fantasies, having Shinji romance characters like Rei, Asuka, Kaoru and even some OCs. But while Neon Genesis Evangelion did play with the idea of different timelines and histories being repeated and remixed, more animation felt like a mistake.
Anno clearly has a deep connection to his own creation, not only because he was the leader behind it, but also because it famously (perhaps even infamously) reflected his own struggles with mental health. “Reconstruction” also feels like a contemporary approach to changing his own life, with a different and arguably more positive tone than the original series. I don’t really like to think of these works as solely the work of talented directors, and I think I’d be giving Anno too much credit, considering that animation is collaborative in nature, but it really wouldn’t exist without him either.
An anime without him at the helm, presented as a new addition to the Evangelion canon, would feel wrong. There should be no further canon exploration of the series, especially since it ends so resolutely – I’m not opposed to more fan fiction in a way that suggests it’s doing its own thing and should be treated as something standalone. But even so, I worry that characters like Rei and Asuka are going to get a lot worse.
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If you know even a little bit about anime, you’ll realize that you can buy a variety of characters and toys that are often stereotypically, overtly sexual, and posed in ways that you can’t help but think These poor women must have serious back problems. Of course, characters like Rei and Asuka exist, but I want to remind you that they are minors. That’s part of the reason why those PS2 visual novels sound so uncomfortable, because they obviously have a specific player in mind. I don’t believe a new anime won’t go the extra mile in its treatment of female characters, and Anno herself doesn’t treat female characters with such respect, albeit in a much different way than just sexualizing them.
At least Anno did say there aren’t any firm plans for the series, but he didn’t rule out future installments either. As someone who loves Neon Genesis Evangelion, I do understand the immediate reaction of “yeah, I’d love more”, but I will continue to be hesitant at the prospect of more. Also, I really don’t think they should put Shinji in Eva, it would never go well.
