‘Goodbye, All of Evangelion’ Really Means ‘Good day, to Extra Evangelion’

Neon Genesis Evangelion, a collection that has managed to finish itself in some kind or one other a minimum of four different times, will accomplish that once more. Timed with the climax of a collection of celebrations for the franchise’s 30th birthday, Khara introduced {that a} new Evangelion anime has entered manufacturing.

The roster behind the brand new endeavor is, unsurprisingly, extremely fascinating. The collection, developed by Kara in collaboration with CloverWorks (maybe greatest identified for the mecha collection Darling within the Franxx, itself following within the pattern of Evangelion and its psychosexual explorations), might be scripted by Yoko Taro, greatest identified for his work on the Nier games, a franchise itself deeply within the kinds of influences Evangelion additionally closely performs with, exploring and enjoying with metatext because it examines id, grief, and extra. Kazuya Tsurumaki and Toru Yatabe, who labored on the Evangelion rebuild motion pictures, and maybe but nonetheless additional of import right here, have been each closely concerned in Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX, an entry in that mecha franchise additionally enjoying with the legacy of its original self.

Other than a point out of collection creator Hideaki Anno—who seemingly mentioned goodbye completely to Evangelion with the discharge of the ultimate rebuild movie, Thrice Upon a Time, solely to return to it as soon as extra for a brief movie launched as a part of the thirtieth anniversary—it’s maybe the precise type of manufacturing expertise you’ll need if there have been to be a brand new Evangelion collection within the first place. If there ought to be a brand new Evangelion collection within the first place, that’s.

New “Neon Genesis Evangelion” ANIME SERIES NEW TRAILER

Written by Yoko Taro
Administrators: Kazuya Tsurumaki & Toko Yatabe
Music: Keiichi Okabe
Animation Manufacturing: CloverWorks x Kharapic.twitter.com/bwDsMY5WYV

— d0nut2x (@d0nut2x) February 23, 2026

In any case, the place does a franchise go after it’s come to the conclusion that happiness can solely be discovered by destroying itself and letting its personal characters be free? Evangelion has already performed with the idea of reliving itself and imagining alternate outcomes, from Finish of Evangelion‘s adversarially grim extrapolation of the unique anime’s surrealist finish to the aforementioned Rebuilds’ metatextual take of liberating its personal characters from cyclical generations of trauma by destroying the Evangelion itself, each the mecha and the image it has come to symbolize in well-liked tradition. The concept of one other present opening that closed door is one thing to be handled with quite a lot of cynicism and intrigue concurrently.

Evangelion is, in fact, no stranger to franchise commodification. As clever because it has turn into about partaking with the very concept of changing into a ceaseless reinvention of itself over the previous 30 years, it’s additionally maybe solely rivaled by the likes of Star Wars relating to overtly slapping its characters and iconography over everything, from chip baggage to sporting gear to luxurious eyewear, after which some. That Evangelion may finish, and thus so may the merchandise, is one thing few concerned within the enterprise facet of Khara could be keen to ponder after 30 years, so the information of a continuation is maybe as inevitable because the fandom heckling that Eva simply can’t be allowed to decide to one in every of its infinite farewells.

And but, maybe it’s having its proverbial cake and consuming it right here. Presumably past having a blessing, it’s essential to notice Anno’s lack of direct involvement on this new collection. If the brand new Evangelion is the challenge of a staff that doesn’t embrace him in a big artistic capability, then it’s, on the very least, one thing that Evangelion has but to do over these 30 years of reinvention: think about what it will possibly really seem like with out its creator. The majority of the Evangelion we’ve had thus far is the product of Anno’s direct relationship to the collection that has outlined, and can proceed to outline, his legacy for generations to return. One thing that’s allowed to exist as a part of it, in dialog with it, however is the artistic seed of one other creator and artistic staff, permits us to ponder the query of what Evangelion can seem like faraway from Anno’s foibles and musings and what it will possibly seem like when it isn’t additionally about Anno grappling along with his relationship to his personal work in any case these years.

It’s that potential that makes this new Evangelion really feel most in step with the climax of the Evangelion Rebuilds in Thrice Upon a Time, at the same time as that film tried to place a definitive finish on Evangelion as we and Anno alike knew it. In dialog with the Evangelion and endings that got here earlier than, Thrice‘s final thesis—past Anno, by Shinji, letting Evangelion go—is about utilizing the therapeutic of your personal trauma to uplift and help others to take action as properly, that the hope of self-actualization is one thing to be shared communally, quite than left as a private journey.

Possibly the purpose is that, ought to there should be a brand new Evangelion—as a result of there might be a brand new Evangelion—it’s only befitting that or not it’s a brand new starting, from new creators, to hash out their very own relationship with the franchise and discover some therapeutic with it. Time will inform what the brand new present turns into, but when there’s any franchise that may show there’s a approach to discover new which means in re-engaging with itself—and to interact with new views to seek out that which means—it’s Evangelion.

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