Netflix Neon Genesis Evangelion

The popular anime title ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’ has been out of print for many years due to issues over its rights, but at long last, Netflix has come to the rescue and will add the title to its ever-growing catalog of anime on June 21.  The streaming service made the announcement by posting a trailer on Twitter:

Netflix will offer not only the 26-episode original series but also the films ‘Evangelion: Death True 2 (Death & Rebirth)’ and ‘The End of Evangelion’.  There is talk behind-the-scenes of a new English dub, with the original cast petitioning to be called back, but while that MIGHT be in the works, it will not be part of the initial offering.  The original scuttlebutt was that a new English dub would feature a new cast, which wouldn’t be surprising, as new anime on Netflix and other services have been roping in bigger name stars to lend their pipes.  But original cast member Amanda Winn Lee (Rei) tweeted a message of reassurance in December after word of Netflix acquiring ‘Evangelion’ was announced.

Introduced in the US and other Western markets in 1997, ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’ follows the adventures of Shinji Ikari, a young mecha pilot of the towering Evangelion, and aids in the war against giant monsters called Angels.  But Shenji’s crisis of conscience plays a large role as he ponders the consequences of the war he has been dragged into.  While on the surface, this is another mechas vs. kaiju anime, it delves deeper into philosophical and existential conflicts which elevated it above the norm of this popular genre.

There is no word yet on how Netflix will market ‘Evangelion’… if at all.  But for fans, maybe it’s best to just rejoice that this long-out-of-print title will once again be readily available to experience.