Tickets are available for a special London screening of one of the best anime movies of all time – 1997’s The End of Evangelion. It will be introduced by Michael Leader and Jake Cunningham, the presenters of the Ghibliotheque podcast. The venue is the Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square and the date of the screening is April 4, 2023. The End of Evangelion film provided a new ending to the story from the Neon Genesis Evangelion series, which aired in 1995-1996.
As the cinema’s website explains; “With its distinctive mixture of religious mysticism, psychoanalytic theory and awkward teenagers piloting giant robots, the anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion was a cultural sensation on its initial broadcast in 1995. However, the original series ending caused a rupture within its passionate fanbase. Two years later, creator Hideaki Anno returned to retell the ‘true’, definitive ending on the big screen.”
“The result was The End of Evangelion, a bold, challenging and confrontational feature that delivered cinematic spectacle while also digging deeper than ever before into the series’ psychological and emotional bedrock.” End of Evangelion could easily have made our lists of the best teen movies and the best robot movies.
“A word to the wise: this feature is essentially a retelling of the final two episodes of a 26-episode anime series. While it has many qualities that can be experienced out of context, it is not recommended as a starting point if you haven’t yet seen the original run of Neon Genesis Evangelion.”
A new Evangelion movie came out in 2021, which our Thrice Upon a Time review called “a well-orchestrated, straight-forward send off” and a “comfortable conclusion.” Neon Genesis Evangelion features some of the best anime characters of all time.
If you’re in the market for something different, check out our guides to the best horror anime and the best romance anime.