Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版: 序, Evangerion Shin Gekijō-ban: Jo, lit. “Evangelion New Theatrical Edition: Prelude”) is a 2007 Japanese animated science fiction film written and chief directed by Anno Hideaki. It is the first instalment of the Rebuild of Evangelion tetralogy, based on the anime television series Neon Genesis Evangelion.

The film retells the events of the first six episodes of the original series with updated animation, revised scenes, and enhanced action sequences. Produced by Anno’s newly founded Studio Khara in partnership with Gainax, the film marked a return to the Evangelion universe after a ten-year hiatus since The End of Evangelion (1997).

Synopsis

Set in the futuristic city of Tokyo-3, fifteen years after a planetary catastrophe known as the Second Impact, the film follows fourteen-year-old Shinji Ikari, who is summoned by his estranged father Gendo to pilot a giant biomechanical mecha called Evangelion Unit-01. As a member of the special agency NERV, Shinji must defend humanity against mysterious beings known as Angels alongside fellow pilot Rei Ayanami.

The story begins when the Fourth Angel attacks Tokyo-3, forcing Shinji to pilot the Evangelion for the first time. After successfully defeating the Angel, Shinji moves in with NERV operations director Misato Katsuragi and begins attending a local school. When the Fifth Angel appears, Shinji pilots Unit-01 again but disobeys orders to retreat, choosing instead to protect his classmates who had wandered into the battle zone.

The climax focuses on the arrival of the Sixth Angel, Ramiel, which proves to be NERV’s most formidable opponent yet. When Shinji’s initial attack fails and leaves him critically injured, NERV devises Operation Yashima, a desperate plan to concentrate all of Japan’s electrical power into a massive positron rifle. The operation succeeds, but at great cost, setting the stage for the continuing conflict.

Development

Conception

The idea for the Rebuild of Evangelion series originated from Anno’s desire to recreate the original Neon Genesis Evangelion “as he wanted it to be” without the technological and budget constraints that had plagued the 1995 television series. During pre-production, producer Toshimichi Otsuki stated that Anno rewatched the entire original series back-to-back to understand how the success of the franchise had caused misunderstandings amongst fans, with the new films intended to clear up confusion.

Anno’s motivation for the project was also financial and creative. Dissatisfied with how the staff of the original series had been inadequately rewarded for their efforts, Anno decided to retain all legal rights to the Evangelion continuation project. This led to the creation of Studio Khara in 2006, which would allow for fairer distribution of profits compared to the traditional studio system.

Studio Formation

Studio Khara was officially founded in May 2006 when Anno moved operations to a larger office in Nishi-Shinjuku. The name “khara” comes from the Greek word χαρά, meaning “joy”. Initially conceived as a personal office space, the studio quickly grew to accommodate the ambitious scope of the Rebuild project. Anno did not resign from Gainax until October 2007, maintaining dual affiliations during the early production period.

The founding of Khara represented a significant shift in the anime industry, as it marked one of the first times a major creator had established complete creative and financial control over their intellectual property. This model would later influence other creators to establish their own studios.

Production

Anno assembled a team combining veterans from the original series with new talent. Kazuya Tsurumaki and Masayuki served as assistant directors, having worked on the original Neon Genesis Evangelion. Character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto and mechanical designer Ikuto Yamashita returned to their respective roles, whilst Shinji Higuchi provided storyboards for the film.

The production process involved extensive “banking” operations, where the team attempted to recover original drawings from the television series. Initially, they considered simply converting the original 16mm film to digital format, but the quality proved insufficient for theatrical presentation. This led to the decision to completely recreate all animation from scratch using digital techniques.

The film’s visual approach combined traditional 2D animation with extensive computer graphics, particularly for the Angel sequences. The redesigned Ramiel presented particular challenges, as its constantly shifting geometric forms required new animation techniques. The Angel’s design drew inspiration from The Andromeda Strain (1971) and mathematical concepts depicting four-dimensional objects in three-dimensional space.

Music

Composer Shiro Sagisu returned to create the film’s soundtrack, working with the London Studio Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios. The scoring process took fifteen weeks total—five weeks for composition and demo recording, followed by ten weeks for final recording. The advancement in recording technology since the original series allowed for greater experimentation and control over the soundtrack.

Sagisu chose to record in London due to the superior facilities available, including 5.1 channel capability and screen synchronisation options not readily available in Japanese studios. Many tracks were re-arrangements of pieces from the original series, updated with improved orchestration and recording quality.

The film’s theme song, “Beautiful World”, was performed by Hikaru Utada, marking her involvement with the Evangelion franchise. Additionally, a new version of “Fly Me to the Moon” was created for the film, maintaining the connection to the original series whilst providing a fresh interpretation.

Release

Theatrical Release

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone premiered in Japan on 1 September 2007. Despite being shown in only 84 theatres, the film achieved remarkable commercial success, earning ¥280 million (approximately $2.4 million) in its opening weekend and claiming the number one spot at the Japanese box office. Many theatres reported capacity crowds throughout the opening weekend.

The film’s final Japanese box office gross reached approximately ¥2 billion, making it the highest-grossing Evangelion film at the time and surpassing the previous record held by The End of Evangelion (1997), which had earned ¥1.45 billion. This success validated Anno’s decision to return to the franchise and established the commercial viability of the Rebuild series.

International Release

The film received limited theatrical screenings in North America during the summer of 2009. Funimation Entertainment, which had acquired North American distribution rights, screened the film in at least 77 theatres across the United States and Canada, with 60 of those locations in Canada. The film was rated PG-13 in the United States for action, violence, and some nudity.

European distribution varied by territory, with the film receiving limited art house cinema screenings in major cities. The international theatrical release strategy focused on serving existing fan communities rather than pursuing mainstream commercial distribution.

Home Media

The home video release strategy for Evangelion: 1.0 proved as innovative as its production. The film was released in multiple versions, each offering different enhancements and bonus content.

Japanese Releases

The initial DVD release, titled Evangelion: 1.01 You Are (Not) Alone, appeared on 25 April 2008 in a limited edition run of 300,000 copies. This version contained 266 enhanced shots with improved picture quality, editing refinements, and sound improvements. The special edition included a second disc featuring “Explanation of Evangelion: 1.01”, which provided on-screen captions identifying characters, locations, and technical details throughout the film.

Each limited edition copy included five random animation cells from the actual film reels, which became highly sought after by collectors. Some cells, particularly those featuring popular character moments like Rei’s smile, sold for over ¥150,000 (approximately $1,900) at online auctions.

A further enhanced version, Evangelion: 1.11 You Are (Not) Alone, was released on 27 May 2009 in both Blu-ray and DVD formats. This version added approximately three minutes of new animation to the opening sequence and featured improved picture quality to address darkness issues in the previous release. The 1.11 Blu-ray became the best-selling Blu-ray disc in Japan at the time, selling approximately 49,000 copies in its first week.

International Home Video

Funimation released the 1.01 version on DVD in North America on 17 November 2009, followed by the 1.11 version on both DVD and Blu-ray on 9 March 2010. The North American releases included both Japanese audio with subtitles and a new English dub featuring much of the original voice cast from the ADV Films releases of the television series.

The home video releases included substantial bonus content, including production documentaries, deleted scenes, trailers, and cast commentary. A 20-page booklet with character artwork and production information accompanied the North American Blu-ray release.

Reception

Critical Response

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone received generally positive reviews from both Japanese and international critics, though responses were notably more polarised among Western reviewers. Critics praised the film’s technical achievements whilst debating its necessity as a retelling of familiar material.

Japanese critics responded favourably to the film’s streamlined narrative and enhanced production values. The magazine Excite particularly praised changes to Shinji’s character, noting that he appeared less depressed and more decisive than his television counterpart. The scene featuring Misato and Shinji holding hands before Operation Yashima was highlighted as an example of the film’s improved emotional resonance.

Western critics offered more mixed assessments. Screen Anarchy’s Peter Martin praised the film’s “good snappy pace, action scenes, and plot”, whilst the Los Angeles Times noted the story’s “true sense of character”. However, Slant Magazine described it as “a very attractive but fundamentally pointless” exercise, and critics from Comic Book Resources characterised it as “a rushed and truncated summary of Evangelion for newcomers”.

Commercial Performance

The film’s commercial success extended well beyond its theatrical run. Home video sales in Japan exceeded expectations, with the 1.11 Blu-ray release achieving record-breaking sales figures. A GfK Japan poll declared it the best DVD release of 2008, and the franchise returned to popularity rankings in Newtype magazine for the first time in years.

Digital downloads of the film’s music also performed strongly, with Utada Hikaru’s “Beautiful World” downloaded over 881,000 times and the new version of “Fly Me to the Moon” downloaded 276,000 times within a month of the film’s release.

Awards and Recognition

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone received numerous accolades within the anime industry. At the 2008 Tokyo International Anime Fair, the film won the Anime of the Year award, whilst director Anno Hideaki received the Best Director award. The film also received recognition at the Animation Kobe awards.

The success of the film validated the decision to create the Rebuild series and demonstrated that there remained significant audience appetite for new Evangelion content more than a decade after the original series concluded.

Legacy

Technical Innovation

Evangelion: 1.0 marked a significant milestone in anime production technology, demonstrating how digital animation techniques could enhance rather than replace traditional cel animation. The film’s integration of 3D computer graphics with traditional 2D animation established new industry standards and influenced subsequent productions.

The studio’s decision to completely recreate familiar scenes using modern techniques provided a template for other franchise revivals. The banking process developed for recovering original materials became a model for other studios seeking to revitalise older properties.

Franchise Impact

The commercial and critical success of the film ensured the continuation of the Rebuild series and revitalised interest in the Evangelion franchise as a whole. The film’s success also validated Anno’s decision to establish creative and financial independence through Studio Khara, influencing other creators to pursue similar arrangements.

The updated character designs and mechanical concepts introduced in the film became the new standard for Evangelion media, appearing in subsequent films, video games, and merchandise lines. The film’s approach to balancing respect for the original material with creative innovation provided a blueprint for successful franchise reboots.

Cultural Influence

Beyond its immediate commercial success, Evangelion: 1.0 contributed to ongoing discussions about the nature of anime remakes and the relationship between creators and their intellectual property. Anno’s public statements about the film clearing up “misunderstandings” about the original series sparked considerable debate amongst fans and critics about authorial intent and franchise evolution.

The film also demonstrated the viability of independent anime production outside the traditional studio system, inspiring other creators to explore alternative funding and distribution models. Studio Khara’s success with the Rebuild series proved that creator-owned studios could compete with established industry giants.

Technical Specifications

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone was produced using a combination of traditional animation techniques and cutting-edge digital technology. The film was created at a resolution suitable for theatrical presentation, with particular attention paid to colour grading and sound design to take advantage of modern cinema technology.

The production utilised multiple animation studios for in-between animation work, including established companies such as Production I.G, Studio Bones, and P.A. Works. This collaborative approach allowed Studio Khara to maintain quality standards whilst meeting the ambitious production schedule. animation work, including established companies such as Production I.G, Studio Bones, and P.A. Works. This collaborative approach allowed Studio Khara to maintain quality standards whilst meeting the ambitious production schedule.

Credits

Cast

The film featured the return of the original Japanese voice cast from the television series:

Megumi Ogata as Shinji Ikari
Megumi Hayashibara as Rei Ayanami
Kotono Mitsuishi as Misato Katsuragi
Fumihiko Tachiki as Gendo Ikari
Koichi Yamadera as Ryoji Kaji
Yuriko Yamaguchi as Ritsuko Akagi

The English dub featured several actors from the original ADV Films television series, including Spike Spencer as Shinji Ikari and Amanda Winn-Lee as Rei Ayanami.

Crew

Chief Director: Anno Hideaki
Directors: Masayuki, Kazuya Tsurumaki
Screenplay: Anno Hideaki
Character Design: Yoshiyuki Sadamoto
Mechanical Design: Ikuto Yamashita
Music: Shiro Sagisu
Art Director: Hiroshi Kato
Animation Producer: Studio Khara

External Links

Official Evangelion Website
Studio Khara Official Website
Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone on Wikipedia
Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone on Anime News Network