The End of Evangelion
| The End of Evangelion | |||||
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Theatrical release poster | |||||
| Japanese name | |||||
| Kanji | 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン劇場版 Air/まごころを、君に | ||||
| Literal meaning | New Century Evangelion Theatrical Edition: Air/Sincerely Yours | ||||
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| Directed by |
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| Written by | Hideaki Anno | ||||
| Produced by | Mitsuhisa Ishikawa | ||||
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Hisao Shirai | ||||
| Edited by | Sachiko Miki | ||||
| Music by | Shirō Sagisu | ||||
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Toei Company | ||||
Release date |
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Running time | 87 minutes | ||||
| Country | Japan | ||||
| Language | Japanese | ||||
| Box office | ¥2.47 billion[1] / $19 million | ||||
The End of Evangelion[a] is a 1997 Japanese animated apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Hideaki Anno and Kazuya Tsurumaki, written by Anno, and animated by Gainax and Production I.G. It serves as an alternate ending to the television series Neon Genesis Evangelion, which aired from 1995 to 1996.
The story follows the teenagers Shinji Ikari, Rei Ayanami and Asuka Langley Soryu, who pilot mechas called Evangelion to defeat enemies who threaten humanity named Angels. The series' voice actors reprise their roles, including Megumi Ogata as Shinji, Yuko Miyamura as Asuka, and Megumi Hayashibara as Rei.
Shortly before the release, Anno and Gainax released another film, Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth; the first segment, Death, summarizes first twenty-four episodes of the series. The second segment, Rebirth, is a 25-minute preview of The End of Evangelion. In 1998, the overlapping films were edited together and released as Revival of Evangelion.
The End of Evangelion was a box-office success, grossing ¥2.47 billion. It received acclaim for its animation, direction, editing, emotional impact, and screenplay, though some reviewers criticized its oblique religious symbolism and abstraction. It was honored at the Awards of the Japanese Academy, the Animation Kobe, the 15th Golden Gloss Awards, and won the 1997 Animage Anime Grand Prix, and has been cited as one of the greatest animated films.[2][3][4]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
merumowas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Collins, Hannah (November 30, 2018). "Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Best Viewing (and Reading) Order". Archived from the original on January 2, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ "The 100 best animated movies: 70–61". Time Out New York. April 16, 2014. Archived from the original on January 2, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
- ^ Collin, Robbie (August 25, 2025). "The 50 best animated films of all time, ranked". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on August 29, 2025. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
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