Rebuild of Evangelion

(Redirected from NGE: Rebuild)

Rebuild of Evangelion, known in Japan and on Amazon Prime Video as Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition (ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版, Evangerion Shin Gekijōban), is a Japanese animated film series and a retelling of the original Neon Genesis Evangelion anime television series, produced by Studio Khara. Hideaki Anno served as the writer and general manager of the project, with Kazuya Tsurumaki, Masayuki, Mahiro Maeda and Katsuichi Nakayama directing the films themselves. Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Ikuto Yamashita and Shirō Sagisu returned to provide character designs, mechanical designs and music respectively.

Rebuild of Evangelion
Rebuild of Evangelion key visual
ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版
(Evangerion Shin Gekijōban)
GenreMecha[1]
Anime film series
Directed by
Written byHideaki Anno
Music byShirō Sagisu
Licensed by
Released 1 September 2007 8 March 2021
Runtime
  • Theatrical edition:
  • 457 minutes
  • Uncut edition:
  • 464 minutes
Films4 (List of films)

The films utilize digital ink and paint, some computer-generated imagery, and provide new scenes, settings and characters, with a completely original story in the third film, and an entirely new conclusion in the fourth. Another stated intention of the series is for it to be more accessible to non-fans than the original anime series and films were.[2][3]

Storyline

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Rebuild of Evangelion was originally presented as an alternate retelling of the original Neon Genesis Evangelion anime series: the first three movies were intended to be an "alternate retelling" of the series.[4]

  1. Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone is a nearly line-for-line, shot-for-shot remake of episodes 1–6.[5] Despite the great similarities, some differences are notable, like the introduction of Lilith and a mysterious apparition of Kaworu on the moon.
  2. Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance continues the story of Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, and is a much looser retelling or re-imagining of episodes 8 through 23. Its differences from these episodes include newly designed creatures and new characters, such as Mari Illustrious Makinami. Asuka is introduced in this film bearing a new surname, and some other differences from her original incarnation.[6]
  3. Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo is the first film to completely break from the original continuity and tell a completely new story.[7] Taking place fourteen years after the previous events and heavily featuring Kaworu, a new organization called WILLE is introduced and described as a NERV rival.[8] New types of Evas are introduced, as well as new characters such as Sakura Suzuhara, Toji's sister. 3.0 is also complemented by the short videos Evangelion: 3.0 (−120min.) and Evangelion: 3.0 (−46h), both of which take place shortly before the film's story.[9][10]
  4. Evangelion: 3.0 1.0 Thrice Upon a Time concludes the story. Presented in it are some references from End of Evangelion and some scenes from the original show. It shows the final conflict between NERV and WILLE, as well as between Gendo and Shinji.[11]

List of films

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Episode Release date Running time Budget
(approx.)
Box office gross
Japan North America
Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone.
(ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版: 序,
Evangerion Shin Gekijōban: Jo
)
1 September 2007 17 November 2009 98 minutes (theatrical)
101 minutes (uncut)
$7 million $20.1 million[a]
Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance.
(ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版: 破,
Evangerion Shin Gekijōban: Ha
)
27 June 2009 29 March 2011 108 minutes (theatrical)
112 minutes (uncut)
$10 million $44.3 million[b]
Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo.
(ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版: Q,
Evangerion Shin Gekijōban: Kyū
)
17 November 2012 2 February 2016 96 minutes $13 million $67.2 million[c]
Evangelion: 3.0 1.0 Thrice Upon a Time.
(シン・エヴァンゲリオン劇場版:𝄂,
Shin Evangerion Gekijōban:𝄂
)
8 March 2021 13 August 2021 155 minutes $29.7 million $93.6 million[d]
Total 457 minutes (theatrical)
464 minutes (uncut)
$59.7 million $228 million

The concept of jo-ha-kyū (序破急), which roughly corresponds to "beginning", "middle", and "end", originated in classical gagaku music and is best known to describe the acts of a noh play. In lieu of the traditional classification, the production team has chosen to represent kyū (, [ˈkʲɯː], "hurry") with the Roman letter Q, for "quickening." With the premiere of the third film, it was announced that the symbol to be used for the final film would be the musical symbol known as the final barline (𝄂 or ||).[12] However, according to an article published by Anime News Network, it is actually the end repeat sign (𝄇 or :||).[13] The intended Japanese pronunciation of this symbol has not been stated.

The film titles, in contrast to the normal katakana spelling of Evangelion (エヴァンゲリオン, Evangerion), replace the e () and o () characters with the obsolete we () character and the infrequently used katakana wo (), respectively. The change is purely a stylistic one, as there is no change in pronunciation and all appearances of the Latin spelling of "Evangelion" remain the same. The final film reverts to the original katakana spelling, but adds Shin (シン) to the title; as it is written in katakana and not kanji, the meaning of shin is ambiguous and it can be alternatively translated as either "new" (, Shin) (as in previous Rebuild films), "true" (, Shin), or even something else entirely. As was done with episode titles in the original series, each film has an original Japanese title and a separate English international title picked out by the Japanese studio itself.

Production

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Hideaki Anno had originally intended on making a new Evangelion story since 2000. The Rebuild films were meant as a way to open up the franchise in the future to new creators and turn Eva into a "new Gundam", likening this initiative to G Gundam,[14] as well as Anno's overall intentions to revitalize what he saw as a stagnant anime industry and acquire funds and experience for future projects.[15] Anno initially began work on what would eventually become the Rebuild films in the fall of 2002, spending nearly six months on pre-production before being delayed by various other projects (such as Cutie Honey, the Re: Cutie Honey OVA, and even a few movie roles).[16] This included watching the entire original series back-to-back.[17] Originally, he would call it "G Evangelion" or simply "Evangelion 2", and have it be directed by a new creator. However, Anno was unable to find a candidate, as most other directors felt too intimidated by the task of making a new Evangelion. By 2005, Anno settled on making the films himself. At first, Anno wanted to simply remake the original anime series as a more modern film, significantly altering only the ending.[18]

Assistant Director Kazuya Tsurumaki claimed the original intention was that "the first 80%" of the Rebuild 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 felt End of Evangelion could not receive a sequel,[19][20] and the Rebuild movies were not going to be "metaphysical" like the original anime, but rather "oriented towards entertainment".[21] In 2006, Anno also stated in an interview that 2.0 and 3.0. a two-parter including a new-finale akin to End of Evangelion, would both be released by 2008. Again he revealed his Gundam inspiration, specifically from Zeta Gundam New Translation, which had itself received a compilation/remake at around the same time.[22]

Those plans eventually changed, and major changes started happening as early as Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, particularly with the introduction of Mari Illustrious Makinami, who, thanks to fan expectations, grew from a minor character limited to a single scene to one of the protagonists.[23] The production of Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo was personally very demanding for Anno and led him into a bout of depression, delaying production for the final film as Anno worked on other projects such as The Wind Rises and Shin Godzilla.[24]

The studio involved with production of the original series, Gainax was facing significant problems at the time, and Anno felt unable to continue his project there.[25] In order to produce the films, Anno left Gainax and founded Khara in May 2006 together with most of the talent involved in the original anime series.[26] In the December 2006 issue of Newtype, Anno revealed he was happy to finally recreate Eva "as he wanted it to be" in the beginning and that he was no longer constrained by technological and budget limitations.[27]

The release schedule of the Rebuild films has experienced many delays, with the first film pushed from its original summer release date to fall 2007, and the second film's release date shifted from 2008 to summer 2009. The third film, initially announced as a simultaneous release with Evangelion: Final in the summer of 2008,[28] was released in fall 2012.

In 2012, the final film was briefly listed on Khara's website for a 2013 release.[29] Later, in the August 2013 issue of OtonaFami, it was announced that it would be released around winter 2015.[30] In October 2014, Anno announced that due to other commitments,[31] which was later revealed to be his involvement with Shin Godzilla,[32] the film will be further delayed to an unknown date despite the previous release date being echoed in the January 2015 issue of Weekly Bunshun.[33] In 2019 the final film, now called Evangelion: 3.0 1.0 Thrice Upon a Time, was scheduled for a June 27, 2020 release date but received two delays due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.[34] It was released on March 8, 2021.[35] 3.0 1.0 is intended to be Anno's final Evangelion work.[36][37]

To encourage staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the three released movies have been made available to watch for free at the official EVA-EXTRA app, and for a limited time, at the official YouTube channel of Studio Khara.[38][39]

In contrast with the television series, Matisse Pro EB font was used for Japanese and English texts, with Neue Helvetica, Futura, Eurostile also used for English texts.[40] On 10 November 2016, Fontworks began selling the Matisse EB TrueType edition family, which includes the television series and Rebuild of Evangelion versions of the font.[41][42]

An updated version of the film, titled Evangelion: 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.[43] 3.0 1.0 had a home media release on March 8, 2023. In addition to several bonus material and another update titled Evangelion: 3.0 1.11 Thrice Upon a Time, it also featured two bonus videos: Evangelion: 3.0 (-120min), which was originally released as a 17-page manga in a theatrical re-release of 3.0 1.0, while Evangelion: 3.0 (-46h) was an original video animation bundled with the home media release of the film, which also featured -120min re-released in video format with full voiceover by the original cast. Both take place in the time-skip between 2.0 and the 3.0.[44]

Future

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Collaborative projects

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In February 2022, Studio Khara, Toei Company, Toho Company, and Tsuburaya Productions announced a collaborative project titled "Shin Japan Heroes Universe" for merchandise, special events and tie-ins. The project will unite properties that Anno had worked on bearing the title "Shin", such as Shin Godzilla, Evangelion: 3.0 1.0 Thrice Upon a Time, Shin Ultraman and Shin Kamen Rider.[45][46]

See also

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Notes

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References

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  1. ^ "The Evolution of Evangelion: Rebuild vs. TV". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  2. ^ "Evangelion: New Cinema Edition". Newtype. October 2006. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2007. It will be a work that can be enjoyed even if you have not seen the TV series. I want old hard-core fans and even fans who just know Eva from pachinko to view it as a single (i.e. stand-alone) movie. We welcome first-time viewers…
  3. ^ "Anime News Service – September 4th–8th Anime News". Animenewsservice.com. 8 September 2006. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  4. ^ Alamillo, Lorenzo Antonio (7 March 2022). "Where The Rebuild of Evangelion Succeeded & Failed Compared To The Original". Game Rant. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  5. ^ Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (2007), retrieved 28 January 2023
  6. ^ "Rebuild of Evangelion: Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance Movie / Neon Genesis Evangelion / Anime - Otapedia | Tokyo Otaku Mode". otakumode.com. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  7. ^ "3rd Evangelion Remake Film to Open Fall 2012". Anime News Network. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  8. ^ Maeda, Mahiro; Masayuki; Tsurumaki, Kazuya (17 November 2012), Evangelion Shin Gekijôban: Kyu (Animation, Action, Drama), Gainax, Khara Corporation, retrieved 28 January 2023
  9. ^ "エヴァンゲリオン公式サイト News". www.evangelion.co.jp (in Japanese). 7 June 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  10. ^ "シン・エヴァンゲリオン劇場版". www.evangelion.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  11. ^ Maeda, Mahiro; Nakayama, Katsuichi; Tsurumaki, Kazuya (13 August 2021), Shin Evangelion Gekijôban (Animation, Action, Drama), Khara Corporation, retrieved 28 January 2023
  12. ^ "次回 シン・エヴァンゲリオン劇場版". Archived from the original on 18 November 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
  13. ^ "4th & Final Evangelion Anime Film Titled (Updated)". Anime News Network. 17 November 2012. Archived from the original on 20 July 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  14. ^ Rivera, Renato (3 December 2016). "Evangelion Creator Talks the Future of the Franchise". AnimeNow!. Archived from the original on 9 December 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  15. ^ Seraki, Dimitri (5 November 2019). "Translation – 10 Years of Khara, interview with Hideaki Anno Part 2". Full Frontal. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  16. ^ "Personal Biography: Hideaki Anno – Scriptwriter, director, etc". Khara. Archived from the original on July 18, 2010. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
  17. ^ "Second Impact". Newtype USA. 5 (12). Houston, TX: A.D. Vision: 30–31. December 2006. ISSN 1541-4817.
  18. ^ Evangerion shin gekijoban: Jo zenkiroku zenshu : Bijuaru sutoriban settei shiryoban. [Tokyo]: khara. 2019. ISBN 9784905033189. OCLC 1121079437. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  19. ^ "Kazuya Tsurumaki". Evangelion 3.0 1.0 Theatrical Pamphlet. Japan. 2021. ASIN B08Y85RJ9Q.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  20. ^ "アニメがつまらなくなったのは、「新世紀エヴァンゲリオン」のせいである". Cyzo. November 2006. Archived from the original on 30 August 2016.
  21. ^ "謎解けるか「真の完結編」エヴァンゲリオン再映画化". The Asahi Shimbun. 13 September 2006. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  22. ^ "見なきゃダメだ!あの「エヴァ」が10年ぶりに映画で完結". SANSPO.COM. 6 September 2006. Archived from the original on 14 October 2006.
  23. ^ "樋口 真嗣 interview". ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版:破 全記録全集 (in Japanese). Ground Works. 2012. ISBN 978-4-905033-00-4.
  24. ^ "庵野秀明監督、ネット中傷で「どうでもよくなった」。自死考えた過去も明かす。NHK番組に大きな反響(ハフポスト日本版)". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  25. ^ "Hideaki Anno Details His Falling Out With Gainax". Anime News Network. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  26. ^ "Hideaki Anno Releases Statement About New Evangelion Movies". Anime News Network. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  27. ^ "Anime News Service Archive December 2006". Animenewsservice.com. 31 December 2008. Archived from the original on 25 October 2010. Retrieved 26 January 2009.
  28. ^ "Anime News Service – September 9th–22nd Anime News". Animenewsservice.com. 9 September 2006. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  29. ^ "Final Evangelion Film No Longer Listed in 2013". Anime News Network. 19 November 2012. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  30. ^ "OtonaFami Lists 4th & Final Evangelion Film in 2015". Anime News Network. 10 October 2014. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  31. ^ "Anno Jokes That 4th New Evangelion Film Might Be 4–6 Years After 3rd One". Anime News Network. 28 October 2014. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  32. ^ 『シン・エヴァンゲリオン劇場版』及びゴジラ新作映画に関する庵野秀明のコメント (in Japanese). Evangelion's Official site. 4 April 2015. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  33. ^ "Magazine: Final Evangelion Film Slated for Fall-Winter 2015 With Utada Song". Anime News Network. 26 December 2014. Archived from the original on 30 June 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  34. ^ "Evangelion's Final Film Opens on January 23". Anime News Network. 15 October 2020. Archived from the original on 17 October 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  35. ^ "Final Evangelion Film Rescheduled to March 8 After 2 COVID-19 Delays". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  36. ^ Seraki, Dimitri (5 November 2019). "Translation – 10 Years of Khara, interview with Hideaki Anno Part 2". Full Frontal. Archived from the original on 20 January 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  37. ^ Gramuglia, Anthony (13 January 2021). "The Final Evangelion Movie Won't Be the End of the Franchise". CBR. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  38. ^ "Studio Khara: Stay at Home with Evangelion". www.khara.co.jp. 17 April 2020. Archived from the original on 26 April 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  39. ^ "Khara Releases First 3 Evangelion Rebuild Films For Free on YouTube". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 30 April 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  40. ^ "Neon Genesis Evangelion – Graphic designer Peiran Tan plumbs the typographic psyche of the celebrated anime franchise". 7 October 2019. Archived from the original on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  41. ^ "エヴァンゲリオン公式フォント マティスEB TrueType版". 23 December 2019. Archived from the original on 29 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  42. ^ "エヴァンゲリオンパッケージ公式フォント マティスEB TrueType版(フォントワークス)". Archived from the original on 7 December 2018. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  43. ^ エヴァンゲリオン公式 [@evangelion_co] (6 June 2021). "#シンエヴァ ラストラン大サービス! 2⃣新バージョン『EVANGELION:3.0 1.01』上映開始 公開時のバージョンから、カットの差し替えを行った新ver.を6/12(土)より上映! ※ストーリー等に変化はありません 3⃣同じく6/12(土)より、全国6劇場にてドルビーシネマでの上映も決定! https://t.co/Qqpz5vCQf6 https://t.co/Z8SjJ1GAj8" (Tweet) (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021 – via Twitter.
  44. ^ "シン・エヴァンゲリオン劇場版". www.evangelion.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  45. ^ Komatsu, Mikikazu (13 February 2022). "Godzilla, Evangelion, Ultraman, and Kamen Rider to Collaborate in Shin Japan Heroes Universe Project". Crunchyroll. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  46. ^ Li, Nicolaus (16 February 2022). "Hideaki Anno Launches "Shin Japan Heroes Universe" Project". Yahoo!Life. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
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