A New Neon Genesis Evangelion Anime is Coming 30 Years After the Original

Next year marks the 30th anniversary of Hideaki Anno’s iconic creation, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and the celebration is set to be epic with special exhibits, collaborations with G-Shock and McDonald’s, and a major festival at Yokohama Arena in February. Adding to the excitement, a new animated short has been announced for Evangelion: 30; 30th Anniversary of Evangelion. The announcement comes with vibrant key art featuring Shinji, Rei, Asuka, Mari from the Rebuild of Evangelion series, and Kaworu, all sporting casual outfits and cheerful expressions.

The title Evangelion: 30 clearly nods to the naming conventions of the Rebuild of Evangelion films, the last of which debuted in 2021. With Mari in the mix, it’s reasonable to speculate that this anniversary film will unfold within this alternate universe, distinct from the original anime and films.

While details about the upcoming short are still under wraps, we do know that Naoyuki Asano will direct, with Anno overseeing planning, scripting, and supervision.

Fan reactions have been a mix of excitement and hope, as many are eager to see their favorite characters again, ideally in a more uplifting context. Despite the beloved nature of its characters, Neon Genesis Evangelion is known for its darker, introspective themes. The cheerful expressions in the key art have sparked hopes for a lighter narrative, but given the series’ heavy subject matter, those smiles might just hint at a deeper, more complex story.

Considering the Rebuild of Evangelion films explore alternate timelines, it’s possible this new short will delve into a timeline glimpsed at the series’ conclusion, where Shinji grapples with the decision to pursue the human instrumentality project, merging all souls into one. This scenario was portrayed as a slice-of-life high school anime, complete with the usual awkward tropes. Thus, there’s a chance this film will revisit a reality where the characters can simply enjoy being kids, with Mari from the films joining in.

So, fans might just get their wish for a more lighthearted take on Neon Genesis Evangelion, but we’ll have to wait until February to see what the short film has in store.