Neon Genesis Evangelion Creator Reflects on Their Mental Health in Resurfaced Interview

Hideaki Anno might be best known for creating the legendary anime franchise known as Neon Genesis Evangelion, but the director hasn't wasted time, crafting a new universe. The Shin universe imagines classic kaiju characters with a more realistic take, with Godzilla and Ultraman already getting makeovers and Kamen Rider set to land later this year. Now, in a new interview, Anno further explains his past mental health issues and how the original end of Evangelion caused him some serious trouble.

Shin Godzilla, Shin Ultraman, and the upcoming Shin Kamen Rider have been a dream come true for Hideaki Anno, with the Evangelion creator clearly having a love for the characters that were spawned to fight against giant monsters. It currently isn't clear what the future of the Shin universe will be, as many are left to wonder if the upcoming Kamen Rider revival will be the last entry for Anno. In a number of pieces of merchandise that have been released in the past few years, the "Shin Universe" hasn't just placed these three titans together, but Eva Unit-01 has also made appearances as well. Should all four properties eventually be brought together on the big screen, it has a good chance of becoming one of the biggest cinematic crossovers in Japan's history.

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(Photo: Gainax & Toho)

Hideaki Anno Interview

In speaking as part of a new book "Taboo Welcome To What Are You Waiting For", Anno didn't pull any punches when it came to his mental state following the end of the original Neon Genesis Evangelion series, "I was almost mentally broken after the end of the Evangelion TV series, so I once consulted a psychiatrist, expecting something like talk therapy. I had a lot of surficial information about psychological jargon, so I expected an interesting conversation."

Anno then explained that his meeting with the psychiatrist didn't go as he planned, "I wanted such a thing rather than curing myself, but he just prescribed some medicines and that was all. I was shocked and went home. That was so boring. I was hoping I would have a good conversation. I still had such energy in that phase. I overcame the neurosis with it."

Evangelion of course would receive a more in-depth ending via the feature-length film, The End of Evangelion, while also spawning a quartet of films that hit theaters recently. Presently, Anno has not confirmed his future projects, not stating whether he will add a new entry to the Shin Universe and/or think of new stories for NERV. Regardless of his next project, Hideaki Anno has become a legend in the anime world and there are sure to be plenty of fans anxious to see new work from the director. 

Via HTGOIW

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