Resources:End of Evangelion Screenplays

Overview

A now-defunct Japanese fan site called "Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Mysteries" (NEON　GENESIS　EVANGELIONその秘密) posted a document they described on the front page as the "secret dialogue" (裏台詞, ura serifu) for The End of Evangelion. On closer inspection, these turned out to be screenplays for both episodes of the film, marked "For Internal (Company) Use" (社内検討用). The website, perhaps for fear of legal repercussions, does not specify where or how it obtained the documents, although they appear to be entirely authentic.

Since the fan site is currently available only through the Internet Archive (provided one knows the page's original URL), the manuscripts have been archived locally.

• #25′: The Door into Summer / Love is destructive (Manuscript #2, For Internal Use)
• #26′: Yours Sincerely / I need you., New Screenplay (Manuscript #6 Edit, For Internal Use)

Differences

The screenplays are fully recognizable as The End of Evangelion, although there are a large number of differences between them and the final product. A rather incomplete list:

Episode 25'

• Rather than "Air", Episode 25′ was originally entitled "The Door Into Summer" (「夏への扉」, "Natsu e no Tobira"), a reference to the science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein. (The second title, "Love is destructive.", is already present.)
• Following the operators' chat in the Command Center, Kensuke and a wheelchair-bound Toji say their farewells to Shinji. The two are being sent to Germany for reasons unknown. This scene made it to the storyboard stage before being deleted.
• Misato's monologue at the lake is slightly different. Afterwards, she goes to Shinji's room and says something to him.
• The meeting between Gendo and Seele is longer.
• After Misato reads the hacked computer file, she says, "So, that's why they need the thirteen Eva Series units" instead of "So, that's the real truth behind Second Impact".
• While in the inactive Eva-02, Asuka wonders why the A.T. Field won't unfold and says, "I'm scared... Mama, help me, Mama." Kyoko's background dialogue while Asuka chants "I don't want to die..." is absent. The only "metaphysical imagery" present at this point is a "reassuring image of Asuka's mother".
• Asuka says "Hitotsu" ("One") instead of "Erst" after taking down the first Eva Series unit.
• Misato's expositional speech to Shinji underwent some rewrites, ex.: Yui is specified to have played a role in Second Impact, the 18th Angel is directly referred to as "Lilin", and Lilith is compared to Adam but not called a "source of life". The dialogue about Angels and humans "rejecting" each other is absent; in its place are enigmatic comments that seem to be directly linked to Fuyutsuki and Yui's conversation at the end of the film (also present in this screenplay).
• Asuka & Eva-02's battle against the Eva Series bares little resemblance to the final version. Much of it has not been planned out yet.
• Eva-02's final moments are different: it runs out of power while fighting, is immobilized and "de-armored" by the Eva Series, goes berserk (albeit with Asuka still cognizant) and starts fighting back, tries blocking the incoming Spear with its A.T. Field, is skewered through the head, and at last is killed by subsequent Spears.
  • There is no brutal evisceration.
  • The needle gun in the right pylon is used during Eva-02's brief retaliation. It will later be relocated to the main fight, for use against Eva-10.

Episode 26'

• The opening scenes with Eva-01 are different, involving: Eva-02's decapitated head, an irate Shinji, more explosions (with any people caught therein reduced to red particles), the Spear of Longinus wielded by Eva-01 and becoming rainbow-colored, and Eva-01's wings increasing in number three times (from 2 to 4 to 6). Eva-01 receives a "Pattern Blue" reading after liberating its S2 engine.
• Eva-01 is not "crucified".
• The Evas are tentatively described generating a magic square in the sky rather than the Sephirothic Tree of Life.
• Gendo has a scene following his rejection by Rei where he comments on the proceedings and wonders what's happening to Shinji. A Kaworu torso grows out of his left hand and turns into a smiling Rei (a sign that Adam has taken on Lilith's form).
• Eva-01 does not fuse with the Spear of Longinus to become the Tree of Life. It might be absorbed into Lilith at this point (but it's kind of ambiguous...).
• Right before Yui's "This Rei is your heart" line, Gendo was to say, "Is it all right, Yui? Do you intend to entrust Shinji with everything?"
• Maya only says "Sempai" once during her final moments.
• Keel's "happy end" is prefaced by a final interchange between the Seele members.
• The Eva Series' cores are described as vivid blue to start with, and become red as they insert the Spears.
• Gendo's final lines are the same, but his death is different: he's just shown turning into LCL and a "particle of red light". His LCL joins the pool in Terminal Dogma prior to Rei retrieving his glasses.
• Immediately after Gendo's death scene, Eva-01 is shown "within Rei's body", trying to penetrate its exposed core with the Spear of Longinus.
• The original Japanese lyrics for M-10 (what would become "Komm, süsser Tod") were apparently going to be displayed as subtitles during the film.
• The title card for "I need you." appears earlier in the film, near the beginning of the live action sequence.
• A much longer and more involved live action sequence is present.
  • This was filmed but excised from the final. It was eventually released on the bonus DVD included with the limited edition Renewal of Evangelion DVD Box Set.
• Shinji destroys the original Spear of Longinus.
• The Eva Series destroy their cores when they pull the Spears out -- they didn't kill themselves before -- upon which they spontaneously petrify.
• The Black Moon cleaves in half instead of bursting apart.
• The giant Rei's body is described changing into red LCL and red particles of light. (Her arm drops later, though, so apparently this transformation isn't complete?)
• The entry plug is shown being ejected from Eva-01 and falling to Earth.
• Two different ending scenarios are being considered at this point.
  • Last A: The prototype of the final ending. It depicts grave markers erected by Shinji, inscribed with the names of the people he'd known (with the exception of Rei). Asuka is shown kicking down her marker. (A stand of grave markers, complete with one that's been kicked down, are still there in the finished film, but no explanation is provided.) The infamous throttling scene is present, but Asuka's line afterwards is different: "Idiot. I'd never let someone like you kill me."
  • Last B: Also uses the desolate beach for its setting, and includes the grave markers. The Rei "specter" is briefly sighted. Shinji is lying on the beach holding the hand of a disembodied white arm, and he talks to himself about how he'll "never see them again" but he'll go on living regardless.
• End credits are present, set to an unspecified song (probably would have been "Everything You've Ever Dreamed"). Behind the credit scroll, there would have been a Moon-Earth-Sun-Stars sequence similar to what appears near the end of the final film. Here, Eva-01 is lying on the surface of the Moon instead of floating in space.

Translations

A full translation into English is not yet available. Olivier Hague translated/summarized many of the scenes towards the end of episode 26', which may be found archived at MDWigs' site. Additional scene translations by Reichu are included below. (With any luck, more will be added over time.)

Episode #25'

Misato & Shinji: Humans & Angels

Misato:
"They intend to cause Third Impact, using the Eva Series, and return all humanity to nothingness.
Fifteen years ago, people, including your mother, reduced the scale of Second Impact by making Adam undergo degradation.
Shinji-kun... what's made you fight up until now?"

Shinji is silent.

Misato:
"The Angels. Enigmatic, non-communicative entities. The 18th Angel remaining in the end is mankind. The Angel called Lilin, born from Lilith, who is like Adam.
Angels and Man are fundamentally the same thing. Angels are merely another possible humanity: humans that cast aside human form.
People cannot live without the mothers of life -- the Sun, Earth, and Moon. But an Angel that isn't dependent on them would be a new form of life, capable of surviving the harshest conditions.
Eva was its model.
People will probably perish, any which way. But right this moment, we can't just sit back and let humanity get annihilated.
Okay? Destroy the entire Eva Series. Preventing Third Impact is the only way everyone can stay alive."

Asuka Versus Eva Series (2)

○ Geofront
The Eva Series slowly and steadfastly encircle Eva-02.
Eva-02 brandishes its prog knife.
It stabs the knife into Eva-11's face.
The blade of the knife yields with a snap.
Sparks scattering, the blade goes into the Eva's head.
Eva-02's right hand. The next blade comes out.
Asuka: "Next!"
Eva-02 prepares to leap onto Eva-06.
However, Eva-11 restrains 02 by the arms. (11's head is fracturing.)
The cable is severed by the other Eva.
The countdown starts.
Asuka: "Tch!"
Inserts of hand-to-hand combat.
Asuka: "Dammit! I shouldn't be the only one running off internal power here!"
Inserts of hand-to-hand combat.
Asuka: "Why are they still operational?!"
Eva-02 tears off Eva-11's head. (The vertebrae remain attached.)
Asuka: "...They couldn't all have S2 engines?"
Eva-11 pursues even though its neck is broken.
Asuka: "Geez! They just don't stop! I can't even count on that idiot Shinji!"

Asuka Versus Eva Series (3)

○ Geofront
Another one or two Evas are taken down with a spinning round kick? (Needs more thought.)
After dealing the blow, or whatever, the timer count finally hits "0".
Eva-02 comes to an abrupt, lurching halt.
Asuka: "Crap! I've stopped already?!"
Eva-02 receives a light kick from the front.
It collapses heavily into the forest.
Eva-02 is pinned down and immobilized with a knife (Spear?) in each arm.
The Eva Series open their mouths wide.
The armor is bitten off the chest.
(This is, again, a straight image of rape.)
Asuka seizes her chest, her face saturated with disgrace and humiliation.

Asuka Versus Eva Series (4)

○ Geofront, once again
Eva-02's armor is torn off and the basic body exposed.
A white Eva plants down 02's face, about to forcibly dislocate the mandibular joint.
Asuka's face strains as though her own jaw has been seized.
Her face is fraught with humiliation and rage.
Asuka: "Dammit! I'll kill you. I'll kill you. I'll kill you. I'll kill you!!"
Eva-02's four eyes suddenly open.
It's gone berserk.
Eva-02 fires from the needle gun in its right shoulder pylon.
The other Eva's head is torn asunder.
Eva-02 delivers a kick to the Eva's back, then rises.
Asuka: "How dare you harm this beautiful body."
A Spear of Longinus suddenly flies towards Eva-02. (From an Eva Series unit or launched by a Giant Transport Aircraft, maybe?)
The A.T. Field stops it at first, but its light is devoured and eroded.
Asuka: "The A.T. Field can't be--!?"
The Spear of Longinus pierces Eva-02's head.
Asuka lifts her face.
She presses down on her left eye as blood ceaselessly streams between her fingers.
Asuka (enduring great pain): "What is this...?"
The shapes of the Spear stuck into the ground and the fully immobilized Eva-02.
Asuka: "No! Spears of Longinus?"
(Three whooshing sounds.)
And then, the Eva's chest, abdomen, foot, etc., are skewered.
In an instant, Eva-02 is turned into an objet d'art.

Episode #26'

The Spear Returns

○ Subtitle: "Yours Sincerely"
○ Geofront
Woods whistling, Eva-01 hovers in mid-air with two wings.
Uprooted trees, the wreckage of JSSDF ordnance, etc., in the area rise into the air.
Eva-01's satanic face
Shinji in plug interior. (No interface headset.)
Shinji: "Asuka?"
Eva-02's head held in the mouth of an Eva Series unit.
(The severed end is not pretty, as though the head was forcibly torn off.)
Shinji: "Uwaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
Rei notices that something's wrong with Shinji. (Side profile close-up, insert.)
Rei: "Ikari-kun?"
Shinji is nonetheless enraged.
Eva-01 unleashes four wings at once.
○ Surface of the Moon
The Spear of Longinus stuck in the ground, casting a long shadow.
It flies out with a "whoosh".
○ Geofront Peripheral Section
From off-screen, there's dialogue from a panicking military correspondent, etc.
JSSDF Intelligence Officer: "There's an object flying in from the outer atmosphere at just under the speed of light!"
JSSDF Intelligence Commanding Officer: "What?!?"
A light piercing the atmosphere. (Insert.)
Fuyutsuki: "No, not the Spear of Longinus?!"
The Spear of Longinus suddenly stops right in front of Eva-01.
Eva-01 slowly takes the Spear of Longinus in hand.
Shinji (miserable): "No more... I can't take any more of this!!"
In an instant, the Spear becomes the colors of the rainbow.
Eva-01's wings become six in number, as well.
Everything around turns to light and is blown away
Command Center 2 is hit by the shock wave.
Aoba, kneeling on the floor as he looks up at the console monitor rolling with noise???
Aoba: "Eva Unit-01 has released its S2 engine! Changing to analysis Pattern Blue!"
Fuyutsuki: "This is bad."
Forest, ruins, ordnance, and people are swept away as grains of light. (Red light for people only.)
The Eva Series are standing there. They and Eva-02 are untouched.
The Eva Series watch intently, without emotion.
Eva Unit-02's eyes look as though maybe they're watching this, with a similar detachment.
Shinji is screaming.
The wings of light increase two at a time and issue forth, simultaneously on both left and right sides.

Seele (1)

○ Seele Council Room
"At last, our hopes will be realized."
"The original Spear of Longinus has returned, as well."
Keel: "There aren't quite enough, but it can't be helped."
All: "Return the Eva Series to its rightful form."
All: "Evangelize humankind and restore us to our true form."
All: "With equal amounts of death and prayer, restore all people to their true state."
Keel: "And may all souls be at peace."
Keel: "Then, let the ceremony commence."

Notes

All notes by Reichu.

Sometimes the dialogue is identical to that in the final script. In these cases, I often found myself referencing the best translation of EoE's dialogue out there, Bochan_bird's. (Especially since I'm not too great with dialogue. The writing style used for scripts is relatively no-brainer, otherwise.) These screenplay translations are my own work, by and by, but when I didn't feel like I could come up with a "better" take on a particular line (not that any of the lines I did translate differently are "better"), I went with what he got. Not sure if he would consider that a compliment or mere thievery. Given our "ambivalent relationship"... Er...

Anyway!

External Links

• Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Mysteries @ The Internet Archive. Retrieved 4/19/2009.
  • Episode 25′: The Door Into Summer
  • Episode 26′: Sincerely Yours

• MDWigs' Musings: EoE Live Sequence and Alternate Endings. Retrieved 4/19/2009.

• The Evangelion Otaku Page. Retrieved 4/22/2009.
  • The End of Evangelion Motion Picture Screenplay. Translated by Bochan_bird. (Despite the name, this is a translation of the final movie's dialogue formatted into a "screenplay", not the pre-production screenplay.)