'Rebuild of Evangelion' Film Series Temporarily Streaming Free on YouTube
A small gift to fans in light of the newest ‘Evangelion’ movie’s delay.
The much-anticipated fourth Rebuild of Evangelion film, Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time has unfortunately been delayed again, this time due to the coronavirus pandemic. To soften the blow for unhappy fans, the Rebuild series’ production house, Khara, Inc, has temporarily issued the first three films for free on YouTube.
There’s a major caveat for Western fans — the films are streaming with Japanese audio, sans English subtitles. Still, it’s a rare opportunity to see a big budget anime franchise on a public streaming site and it’s part of an initiative uplift the Japanese Evangelion fans awaiting the new movie. They can also be viewed on the EVA-Extra app until April 30, with an additional audio-only commentary track coming soon.
A MESSAGE FROM HIDEAKI ANNO
by his handwriting in original Japanese version#Evangelion #eva https://t.co/k0g5YbknPt pic.twitter.com/igZyQRyF8E— エヴァンゲリオン_official (@evangelion_co) April 18, 2020
Khara founder and Rebuild of Evangelion director, producer and screenplay writer Hideki Anno outlined his intentions in a handwritten letter to fans, offered in both Japanese and English. “To all the medical staff … still working on [COVID-19], I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude and respect,” he writes. “I feel so sorry to keep you waiting … I will keep … our indomitable spirits together wih all of you.”
Stream the first three Rebuild of Evangelion films on Khara Inc.’s Youtube channel until they’re taken down at the end of the month. Meanwhile, Neon Genesis Evangelion and The End of Evangelion are currently streaming on Netflix with updated English voice dubbing.
As fans await the new flim’s release, there’s plenty of tie-in merch to tide them over, including thematic Tamagotchi toys and UNIQLO UT’s graphic T-shirts.
