Evangelion continues to be a hugely popular and influential anime. Despite many believing the story concluded long ago, it remains a significant part of pop culture. The fourth and final film, Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time, from Studio Khara’s Rebuild of Evangelion series, came out five years ago.
The anime film Thrice Upon a Time is ambitious and ultimately delivers a surprisingly powerful and fitting ending – even more so than the original Evangelion series. To mark Evangelion’s 30th anniversary, a new 13-minute anime short has been announced. This short won’t just continue the story established in the Rebuild films, it will also focus on the character of Asuka.
Evangelion Broadcast 30th Anniversary Special Screening Expands Evangelion’s Story
It’s common for anime series that have been around a while to go big for important anniversaries, and Evangelion reaching 30 years is definitely something to celebrate! I’ve noticed fans are really happy that Studio Khara is putting in so much effort. They’re hosting a three-day festival called “EVANGELION:30+” from February 21st to 23rd at Yokohama Arena in Japan, and the biggest news is that they’re announcing a completely new Evangelion anime!
The Evangelion Broadcast 30th Anniversary Special Screening is a new 13-minute anime created by the original team behind Evangelion, including Hideaki Anno and Naoyuki Asano. While details were initially limited, it’s now known that the special features original content and isn’t a re-airing of the classic 90s series. Asuka will be the central character in this new installment.
Asuka is a central character in Neon Genesis Evangelion, but she doesn’t have quite the same impact as some of the other major players. Interestingly, she’s even left out of the first Rebuild movie. While Asuka is important to the story, her prickly personality and difficult connection with Shinji have made her a controversial figure among fans. This makes her return in Evangelion Broadcast 30th Anniversary Screening particularly important, as it needs to please the dedicated fanbase.
Evangelion’s 30th Anniversary Is Key to Giving Asuka a Better Ending
Asuka from Neon Genesis Evangelion is a complex and often debated character. She experiences intense suffering and many viewers believe she deserves a peaceful resolution. However, the ending of the series, End of Evangelion, is particularly harsh for her. After briefly finding solace and reconnecting with her mother, Asuka bravely fights against SEELE’s Mass Production Evangelions. Sadly, her powerful attack isn’t enough, and she is brutally killed by these massive machines.
Asuka survives the rejection of Instrumentality and returns to Earth with Shinji, choosing to live despite the pain. However, she is tragically strangled by Shinji shortly after. Her last words, “How disgusting,” perfectly capture her disillusionment with both Shinji and the imperfect world she decided to rejoin. While she does make a conscious choice, there’s little indication of a positive future for her.
In the Rebuild of Evangelion films, Asuka is presented as a slightly different character – Asuka Langley Shikinami, instead of the Asuka Langley Soryu seen in the original series – though she still looks and acts similarly. The film Thrice Upon a Time gives Asuka a much more complex backstory. She discovers she’s one of many clones, and that the Ninth Angel is actually inside her. This means when Asuka dies, it also destroys the Angel within her, which then causes the Fourth Impact.
Even though the events of the film are tragic, the world Shinji ultimately creates offers Asuka a sense of peace, hope, and a chance at a normal life as a teenager in Japan. This ending is similar to how her story concludes in the Evangelion manga. Shinji’s decision to reject Instrumentality results in a new world where the child pilots are no longer connected to the EVAs, allowing Asuka to forge her own path.
As a longtime fan, I’ve always noticed that the world of Evangelion loves to hint at different versions of events and what could have happened. With the Evangelion Broadcast 30th Anniversary Special Screening, it seems like they might continue that tradition. I’m particularly excited because the 13-minute short could show us a glimpse into Asuka’s past, maybe even a flashback that fits into the Rebuild storyline. It feels like we’ll be getting more details about her adventures and a deeper understanding of what’s already established as official canon.
It’s great to see Asuka’s story being explored further, especially since Rei got so much focus in Thrice Upon a Time. But the most interesting direction for the anniversary special would be to show what happened to Asuka after those events. Evangelion is known for trying different styles, so a story about Asuka’s life afterward could be anything from a lighthearted comedy to a serious look at life’s big questions.
Asuka Taking the Lead in Evangelion’s New Anime Signals an Exciting Rebrand
Fans attending the EVANGELION:30+ event and the Evangelion Broadcast 30th Anniversary Special Screening are in for a real treat. There’s a lot of excitement about the future of Evangelion, and this new short film focusing on Asuka isn’t the end – it’s likely the start of a new chapter for the franchise.
The 30th anniversary screening of Evangelion feels like a sweet farewell to the Rebuild series. By centering the special around Asuka, it suggests a bigger shift in focus for Neon Genesis Evangelion. While Asuka has appeared in Evangelion promotions before, she hasn’t been as prominent as Rei, and would be a logical choice to lead any future anime projects.
Asuka having a bigger part in the recent Evangelion screening could just be a choice made for this event. However, it might also hint at where the Evangelion story is headed next. It feels like Shinji’s journey has come to a satisfying conclusion, and future stories would be better served by exploring other characters. The world of Evangelion is so full of potential that it would be a missed opportunity to keep revisiting the same characters and plotlines.
Asuka remains a beloved character from the original Evangelion series, and she’s perfectly suited to lead the franchise in a fresh direction. While the future of Evangelion doesn’t depend on this anniversary short – particularly if it remains exclusive to Evangelion: 30+ – it does offer a glimpse of potential new styles and themes. This special could be a turning point for Asuka, revitalizing her character and setting her up for a significant role in the future of the Evangelion universe.
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2026-01-25 04:41