Just when we’d all made peace with the idea that Evangelion had finally, definitively closed its doors—perhaps the most collective exhale in anime history—Hideaki Anno decides otherwise.
This past Saturday, attendees at the EVANGELION:30+ anniversary event in Yokohama received what can only be described as a masterclass in surprise. Studio Khara unveiled a completely unannounced 13-minute animated short, projected on an absolutely bonkers 18-meter LED screen. No prior warning. No marketing campaign. Just… there.
The Details Worth Knowing
Anno planned, wrote, and supervised the entire thing himself—suggesting this wasn’t some committee-driven cash grab but something far more personal. Daisuke Onitsuka directed, with Naoyuki Asano handling animation direction. More tellingly, Anno admitted the team was editing until the early hours of premiere day. That’s not a comfortable production schedule; that’s a creator refusing to let go until the absolute last possible second.
What Actually Happens
The short centres entirely on Asuka Langley Soryu, functioning as a sort of alternative epilogue to the original television timeline. But here’s where it becomes genuinely interesting:
- It incorporates elements from the Rebuild films, including Asuka Shikinami
- We’re looking at parallel worlds and identity exploration
- A deep dive into psychological terrain that the series has always navigated better than most
Early reports from attendees describe a visual approach blending nineties-era aesthetics with the polished sensibility of recent films.
The Catch
The short ends with a title card reading Episode One.
However, Studio Khara has clarified this was produced specifically as a gift for event attendees. No home release announced. No streaming date. The festival runs through 23 February, and beyond that? Nothing confirmed.
What would make Studio Khara reconsider a broader release? What do international fans actually bring to the table beyond enthusiasm? Is there a precedent for exclusive content eventually finding its way to wider audiences, and what factors typically drive those decisions?
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