Neon Genesis Evangelion fans were disappointed when, after having waited eight years for it, the final film in the Rebuild of Evangelion series, Evangelion 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon A Time, was delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
To make things a little better for fans, Studio Khara, the production studio behind the Rebuild of Evangelion films has decided to release the first three films in the series on their official YouTube channel from now till 30 April 2020.
However, Western fans should note that the films on Studio Khara’s YouTube channel are all in Japanese audio with no English subtitles. But here’s a geek pro-tip: You can add your own subtitles or search the subtitle database using the Subtitles For YouTube Chrome Extension.
That said, it is still a rare opportunity to catch a Japanese anime film legally on a public streaming platform. We can only hope more production studios take a leaf out of Studio Khara’s book and upload some of their own films for fans to watch while stuck at home.
The Rebuild of Evangelion film series first started in 2007 with Evangelion 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, and served as a retelling of the original 1995 Neon Genesis Evangelion anime series. While the first film retold the first five episodes of the anime, the story from the second film Evangelion 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance is wholly different, with new characters introduced. A third film titled Evangelion 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo was later released in 2012.
A new release date for Evangelion 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon A Time has yet to be released but in the meantime, you can catch the first three Rebuild of Evangelion films on Studio Khara’s YouTube channel, and watch the original Neon Genesis Evangelion on Netflix.
Aside from Evangelion, Sailor Moon fans can also look forward to watching the first three Sailor Moon series on YouTube from 24 April.
Germaine is a fun-sized introvert who loves nothing better than sleeping in on rainy days. She can be found reading fanfiction and manga while still waiting for her Hogwarts acceptance letter. It’ll come eventually.
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