The End of Evangelion

Episode Information
Episode 25'+26'
Title 1: 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン劇場版 THE END OF EVANGELION Shin seiki Evangelion Gekijō-ban: The End of Evangelion Title 2: End of Evangelion
Written By	Hideaki Anno
Directed By	Kazuya Tsurumaki Hideaki Anno
First Aired	7-19-1997
Video Release Date	9-24-2002
Angel Appearances	Lilith, Adam
Eva Sorties	N/A
Episode chronology
← Previous	Next →
"Episode 26'"	–

The End of Evangelion (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン劇場版: Shin seiki Evangelion Gekijō-ban) is a 1997 anime movie by Hideaki Anno, created as an alternate ending to the series Neon Genesis Evangelion. The film is divided into two episodes: Episode 25': Love is Destructive and Episode 26': ONE MORE FINAL: I need you. They are meant to either replace or complement the original ending in Episode 25 and Episode 26 of the original series with a more "real world" account of the episode's events.

Overview

With the defeat of the final Angel, Gendo Ikari turns on the Seele organization, each of them wanting to initiate Third Impact under their own control. Through Seele's control of the United Nations, it orders a massive leave-no-survivors assault on Tokyo-3 by the JSSDF, who clear through the personal of NERV quickly and efficiently. Asuka, piloting Eva-02, is able to repulse the JSSDF, motivating Seele to deploy the nine Mass Production model Evangelions against Eva-02. After a titanic battle, Eva-02 is destroyed, killing Asuka. Meanwhile, Misato fights her way through the JSSDF's invasion of Nerv HQ to bring Shinji to Eva-01, dying moments after getting Shinji to safety. Rei merges with embryonic Adam and then Lilith, rejecting Gendo, and instigates Third Impact and Instrumentality using Eva-01, the Mass Production Evangelions, and the Spear of Longinus. After examining his life's meaning with Rei/Lilith, Shinji decides to reject Instrumentality, and return to the world even though that means being hurt. Sometime later, Shinji wakes up on the beach of the Sea of LCL formed by Instrumentality, and finds Asuka alive next to him.

Episode-specific pages can be found here:

• Episode 25'
• Episode 26'
• Early drafts of Episodes 25' and 26'

Credits

Directed by:

Executive Director - Hideaki Anno

Episode 25': Kazuya Tsurumaki

Episode 26': Hideaki Anno

Produced by Mitsuhisa Ishikawa
Written by Hideaki Anno
Starring:

Megumi Ogata

Megumi Hayashibara

Yuko Miyamura

Kotono Mitsuishi

Music by Shiro Sagisu
Cinematography Hisao Shirai
Editing by Sachiko Miki
Distributed by:

Toei Company, Ltd. (Japan)

Manga Entertainment (U.S.)

Release date(s) July 19, 1997
Running time 87 min.
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Budget: US$ 7.5 million

Production

After the first broadcast of the animated series Neon Genesis Evangelion, some viewers felt unsatisfied. According to official information and staff statements, problems with the schedule, delays in production, and some personal indecision on the part of the director Hideaki Anno led to the abandonment of the original script of the penultimate episode. In the case of the last episode, "Take care of yourself", Anno stated in an interview he had roughly followed the original plan instead. The two final episodes, which focus on psychological introspection and long inner monologues of the protagonists, met the expectations of Gainax studio's staff but became a source of discussion for fans; although the finale concluded the most important psychological themes of the series, it abandoned the main plot, giving rise to controversy.

On April 26, 1996, about a month after the final episode of the series was aired, the magazine Monthly Shōnen Ace announced a remake of the final two episodes and a feature-length film would be produced. The first feature film, Death and Rebirth (1997), was intended to conclude the story of the original series and the second installment would have been a new story with a completely different setting.

The project was planned for release in mid-1997. The production of "Rebirth", however, was delayed; so much material was produced it was necessary to break it up into two releases. In addition, some staff felt reluctant and harassed by the production schedule, and the release of the second movie with new material was indefinitely postponed. In March 1997 Death and Rebirth was released. The work has two segments; one of sixty minutes and one of twenty-five minutes. The first segment, "Death", is a montage of animated clips from the first twenty-four episodes of the series and some unreleased sequences. The last segment, "Rebirth" became a preview of the true ending of the series. The segment includes the first twenty minutes of the following installment, ending at the beginning of the confrontation between Eva-02 and the Eva Series. Gainax then announced a second concluding feature film, which would have the same ending told from a new perspective.

The short scene during the Live-Action sequence with a panning shot of the inside of a movie theater was taken during a screening of Evangelion: Death and Rebirth in the now-closed Milanoza movie theater. This live-action sequence was actually significantly cut from the initial version. There is also a version of the movie which included ending credits, using an orchestral version of Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, which also used in the film's live action sequence, as a piano arrangement.

The early drafts of Episodes 25' and 26' include some significant differences, like Shinji masturbating in his room alone and a cut farewell scene with Toji and Kensuke. Additionally, much like Komm, süsser Tod, Anno also wrote another song that was eventually assorted into English and fully produced and sung, Everything You've Ever Dreamed, probably for the end credits. It was eventually unused, but it's very focused on Asuka and Shinji's relationship, unlike the more general Komm, süsser Tod.

Quotes

Love is Destructive:

• (After masturbating by Asuka's bedside)
  Shinji: "I'm the lowest..."

• Seele Member: "The fate of destruction is the joy of rebirth."

• Commander Ikari: "Rei...You're here, after all. The promised time has come. Let's go."

• (Misato gives Shinji a farewell kiss)
  Misato: "That's an adult kiss. Let's do the rest when you come back."

• Commander Ikari and Ritsuko:
  "Ritsuko Akagi, truly...(His next line is silent)"
  "Liar."

• (Original Japanese)
  JSSDF officer: Evangelion Shogoki! (Evangelion Unit-01!)
  JSSDF commander: Masa ni Akuma ka? (Is it the Devil?)

ONE MORE FINAL: I need you:

• Yui and Rei (Before Shinji turns into L.C.L): "This Rei is from your soul. She's the embodiment of your wish." "What do you wish for?"

• Misato: "I failed to be Shinji's mother after all."

• Fuyutsuki: "The Seed of Life...and the Seed of Wisdom [have been both acquired by Eva Unit 01.] It is [now] equal to God. Will it be an ark to save humanity from the nihil of the Third Impact...or become a demon to annihilate humanity? Our future is up to Ikari's son."

• (Asuka and Shinji during Pre-Instrumentality with Misato occasionally interjecting):
  Asuka: "Do you want to kiss?"
  Misato: "Absolutely not."
  Asuka: "Or are you scared?"
  Misato: "It's not for kids."
  Asuka: "Then, here I go."
  Asuka: "You don't understand anything! Don't get come near me!"
  Shinji: "I do understand."
  Asuka: "You don't understand, stupid! (Asuka kicks Shinji instead of kissing him.) Do you think you understand me?! Do you think you can save me?! That's nothing but your conceited ego! You will never understand!"
  Shinji: "How can I understand? Asuka doesn't tell me anything. You don't tell me anything. You don't say anything. It's impossible to understand!"