Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 Creator Shares New Sketch

Neon Genesis Evangelion may have recently dropped onto Netflix, re-introducing the series to a brand new generation of anime fans, but the franchise has also been continuing in the form of a tetralogy of films as part of the Evangelion Rebuild series. With the fourth and final film released in June of next year 2020, the creator of the film franchise has shared a sketch for one of the upcoming mech suits that will be making an appearance in the final movie of the retelling of the Evangelion franchise!

Twitter User EvaMonkey shared a sketch from the film creator, Hideaki Anno, for a recent lantern festival of the Evangelion Unit 08 from the Rebuild franchise:

Eva Unit 08 is a new Evangelion that appeared in the Rebuild franchise but not in the original anime series, piloted by the newcomer Mari, who actually enjoys piloting the mech, unlike Shinji who always seems one step away from having a mental breakdown (and rightfully so!). Mari adds a brand new layer of storytelling to the Evangelion franchise, offering a lighter prospective from the grim and dour personalities of the nihilistic story. Ultimately, whether you consider her inclusion to be a betterment for the series is up to you but she certainly is piloting a neat mech suit when all is said and done.

What do you think of this new sketch from Hideaki Anno from the upcoming Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0? Did you enjoy the Rebuild series more than the original anime so far? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and Eva Units!

Neon Genesis Evangelion is a psychological drama by way of giant monster versus mech anime. The franchise debuted as a television series in 1995-1996 with two films following in 1997. Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth is an one-part drastically abridged retelling of the first 24 episodes of the television series, and one part new animation. The End of Evangelion, the second film, would incorporate some of Death & Rebirth’s original animation and offer an alternate take on the original series’ controversial final two episodes.

The series follows Shinji Ikari, who is recruited by his father to pilot the giant mech Evangelion in the fight against giant monsters known as Angels in the futuristic city of Tokyo-3. But Shinji is unwilling to bear this huge responsibility and is often conflicted about taking part in a war he was dragged into. This conflict of emotions leads to many introspective episodes that cover the range of religious, philosophical, and existential concepts.