Evangelion: Film Site Letterboxd Sparks Backlash Over Controversial Anime Ban

Letterboxd is under fire for making The End of Evangelion ineligible for several key lists.

By Megan Peters

Few things in life are better than movies, and when it comes to discussing your fave titles, Letterboxd has become a paradise. The site, which calls itself the GoodReads of Cinema, has grown into a well-known force in the fandom. From film rankings to reviews, Letterboxd is a haven for movie lovers, but that reputation is now in question. Anime and movie fans alike are pushing back on Letterboxd after the popular site instated a controversial ban against The End of Evangelion, one of anime's best movies of all time.

The ordeal came to light this week as moderators on Letterboxd sparked fire with an update to its Top 250 List. Users were surprised when they saw The End of Evangelion disappear from the list given its solid ranking. The mystery was addressed before long as curator Dave Vis revealed The End of Evangelion is no longer eligible for official list rankings because of its tie to the Neon Genesis Evangelion TV series.

What Is the Drama Surrounding The End of Evangelion?

"After careful consideration, we decided among several official list makers to remove Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion from our official lists. It was already inelible for the Top 100 Aimation and together we decided that was the way we wanted to go for the other official lists as well. One of our joint conclusions is that we don't want continuations of shows' narratives on our official lists," Vis shared.

"Sadly for all Evangelion fans (I'm one of them) that means that End of Evangelion will no longer be eligible for the Official Top 250 (but the rebuild movies are)."

The update drew attention quickly as users shared the ban online. Before long, netizens got hold of the explanation, and flood of critiques have been sent to Letterboxd in kind. "A bit of a soapbox take but delegitimizing the quality or status of any film because it's the successor to a work from another medium is nonsense. Reading things like this from Letterboxd in regards to The End of Evangelion is disappointing," NGEScreenshot shared on social media.

Adding in, DoctorDazza questioned why narrative continuity issues only applied to The End of Evangelion and not the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "If End of Evangelion isn't a film because you need to watch the anime, then get rid of half the MCU you cowards."

From accusations of lazy curation to racist manipulation, Letterboxd's respected name within the film fandom is being erased in real time. The exclusion of The End of Evangelion has sparked a culture war at the site, and given its bleed to social media, the movie has found itself in the spotlight once more. Luckily, the movie is a damn good one, so all the attention is for the best.

Should The End of Evangelion Be Disqualified?

Letterboxd has yet to address its controversial decision. Of course, that is not stopping netizens from reading into the ordeal. The End of Evangelion is being singled out as ineligible due to its continuation of a TV show narrative. The movie caps the tenure of Neon Genesis Evangelion, so for the site, it sees The End of Evangelion as more TV than film. However, that choice disregards the work Hideaki Anno and his team did to make The End of Evangelion a truly cinematic experience.

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From its scale to its sweeping animation and pacing, The End of Evangelion is movie first and foremost. Its message is meaningful whether you have seen the TV anime or not. Honestly? That honor makes The End of Evangelion better than some picks on Letterboxd's Top 250 List. There is context for The End of Evangelion in the TV anime, but it is not a must-have to enjoy the feature. This truth cannot be said about plenty of modern-day movies including the majority of MCU titles. So if Letterboxd wants to be fair in its assessment for The End of Evangelion, its team needs to better study how context impacts a film. And to be frank, does that history matter when you are ranking a movie at all.

What do you make of this drama surrounding The End of Evangelion? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

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