North American fans of Neon Genesis Evangelion will be able to own the iconic anime classic for the first time on Blu-ray.
American film distributor GKIDS announced that it will release the original 26 episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion and the films Evangelion: Death (true)² and The End of Evangelion on Blu-ray later in 2021. The distributor acquired the theatrical, home video and EST rights for the series and films in October 2020.
Neon Genesis Evangelion is a cornerstone of the mecha genre and one of the most influential anime of all time. Critics have pointed out its influence on other hit anime, including Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann, One-Punch Man, Attack on Titan, Code Geass, Steins; Gate, Darling In The Franxx and many others. This influence extends to western media as well with homages and tributes to the Evangelion franchise appearing in cartoons like Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, Rick and Morty and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
GKIDS' Blu-ray release of Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of several new developments that have excited fans of the franchise. Evangelion 3.0+1.01: Thrice Upon A Time, which has been described as the definitive conclusion to protagonist Shinji's story, premiered on Amazon Prime Video on Aug. 13, and series creator Hideaki Anno recently teased a possible continuation of Evangelion's story.
Fans can sign up to be alerted when pre-orders become available on GKIDS' official website.
Source: GKIDS