Evangelion Hype: New Series to Debut!

30 years after the beginning of the series, and five years after its end, Neon Genesis Evangelion is coming back. News that a brand-new anime series is in the works has stunned fans of the long-running anime, as many had believed it to be well and truly over. But with a fresh animation team and a new director behind the wheel, it looks as if Eva’s set for another genre-bending return.

What is Neon Genesis Evangelion?

Released in 1995 by animation studio Gainax, Neon Genesis Evangelion has become one of anime’s crowning achievements. Part mecha, part science fiction action, and part psychological horror, Eva made a name for itself by subverting all known tropes and ideas of what a mecha anime could be. It garnered immense critical acclaim upon its release and has since enjoyed thirty years of side-stories, films, and manga adaptations.

The story of Eva centers on fifteen-year-old Shinji Ikari. In 2015, five years after the horrendous Second Impact, Shinji is sent to Tokyo-3. Shinji’s father, Gendo Ikari, is the director of the specialized paramilitary organization Nerv. The function of Nerv is to defend against and combat massive alien beings known as Angels that have come to destroy Earth. As the Angels are virtually indestructible and resistant to all ordinary military weaponry, the fate of humanity looks grim indeed.

However, all is not lost. Nerv’s ultimate weapons and the only means of saving the planet are its massive bioweapon armors known as Eva’s. These combat suits tower over cities and match the angels in size and strength. The only problem is that Eva’s require an immense, near-fatal level of neural connectivity to operate. Only select pilots are capable of even controlling an Eva. Failure to connect with a suit, or even losing certain degrees of compatibility, can result in death.

This is why Shinji has been tasked with traveling to Tokyo-3. He is one of the few people capable of piloting an Eva. Alongside his fellow pilots, Rei and Asuka, Shinji must confront not only the Angels in a bid to save the planet, but also his own father and his cruel disregard for his son’s well-being.

What is Evangelion’s legacy?

Ultimately, this is why Neon Genesis Evangelion has been so well-loved and regarded for thirty years. It isn’t just about awesome mecha battles and explosions and military hoo-rah action. It focuses on the pilots’ psychology and the inhumane strain it places on them. The original Mobile Suit Gundam, an absolutely legendary series in its own right and one that heavily inspired Eva, also touched on these themes.

The story examines the heavy mental and physical toll on child soldiers who pilot massive, nuclear-powered battle suits. Evangelion continues this theme, showing combat not as heroic but as truly horrific.

Eva plays with the established formula of mecha series by subverting expectations. A prime example (and what has since become a giant meme) is Shinji’s refusal to even enter an Eva. And when he finally does, after an entire episode’s worth of him training and prepping for his battle, he gets dropped within the moment his Eva is deployed.

What is the new Neon Genesis Evangelion Series?

Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (2021) was seen by many as the final farewell to the Eva series from director Hideaki Anno. However, at the Evangelion:30+; 30th Anniversary of Evangelion event in Yokohama Arena, a brand-new series was announced. The new project will be developed by CloverWorks and Studio Khara. In addition, with NieR creator Yoko Taro handling series composition and the screenplay. With this creative lineup, the next Eva chapter has strong potential for success.

Yoko Taro’s involvement is heartening, given his past work. Taro has made a name for himself on the Drakengard and Nier video game series, especially 2017’s Nier Automata. Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (2021) was seen by many as the final farewell to the Eva series from director Hideaki Anno.

However, at the Evangelion:30+; 30th Anniversary of Evangelion event in Yokohama Arena, a brand-new series was announced. The new project will be developed by CloverWorks and Studio Khara, with NieR creator Yoko Taro handling series composition and the screenplay. With this creative lineup, the next Eva chapter has strong potential for success.

Other New Neon Genesis Evangelion Content Coming Soon

This spring, Nagasaki theme park Huis Ten Bosch will offer Neon Genesis Evangelion fans the ultimate attraction. Calling itself Japan’s first 8k flying theatre attraction, the ride will immerse attendees in video and motion as they experience the world of Eva. On one hand, this sounds amazing and is reminiscent of the Spider-Man ride at Universal Studios. 

Through special 3D visual effects and truly jarring physical feedback during the ride, attendees really felt they were caught up in a day in the life of Spider-Man. On the other hand, this new Eva attraction sounds absolutely terrifying, as fans of the series know exactly what can happen to a pilot if a battle against an Angel goes wrong.

Why should you care about the new Neon Genesis Evangelion series?

Rebooting Eva is one of the trickiest tasks any writer/animator could ever hope to pull off. Not only is the original series dearly beloved by millions of fans worldwide, but it’s also an expertly written, directed, and animated series. Failure to match even a fraction of what made the original so good can result in instant failure. Simply trying to ape the original series’ tone and surrealist nature can be hard, too.

The new series needs to have its own strengths to its name, not just parade the fact that it’s related to the original. But a fresh take could be exactly what the series needs. After thirty years, fresh gas in the tank could be the perfect answer for Eva. Are you excited for the new Eva series? Please let us know! We’d love to hear from you!