is a 1995

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

series directed by

Hideaki Anno is a Anime, Japanese animator, filmmaker, Film producer, producer, and voice actor. His most celebrated creation, the Neon Genesis Evangelion (franchise), ''Evangelion'' franchise, has had a significant influence on the anime television industr ...

Shiro Sagisu Shiro, Shirō, Shirow or Shirou may refer to: People *, leader of the Shimabara Rebellion *, Japanese boxer *, Japanese football player 1923–1925 *, Japanese composer *, Japanese weightlifter *, Japanese microbiologist and lieutenant general * ...

composed the soundtracks for it and its sequels, remakes and spinoffs. In addition to Sagisu's compositions, the soundtracks include pieces by

Masami Okui is a Japanese singer and songwriter from Itami, Hyōgo. She began her professional musical career at age 21 as a concert backup singer. From almost the very beginning of her career, Masami has sung themes for anime television and movies. She ...

Kotono Mitsuishi is a Japanese actress and narrator. She was affiliated with Arts Vision and Lasley Arrow, but is now freelance. Mitsuishi lived in Nagareyama, Chiba. She graduated from high school and entered the Katsuta Voice Actor's Academy in 1986. She is ...

and a wide repertoire of classical music, including pieces by

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...

Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for List of compositions by Giuseppe Verdi, his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma ...

, and other composers. Under the direction of Toshimichi Ōtsuki, a representative of King Records and one of the producers of the series, " A Cruel Angel's Thesis" was composed as the series' opening theme song. The series used "

Fly Me to the Moon "Fly Me to the Moon", originally titled "In Other Words", is a song written in 1954 by Bart Howard. The first recording of the song was made in 1954 by Kaye Ballard. Frank Sinatra, Frank Sinatra's 1964 version was closely associated with the Apo ...

", originally written by

Bart Howard Bart Howard (born Howard Joseph Gustafson, June 1, 1915 – February 21, 2004) was an American composer and songwriter, most notably of the jazz standard "Fly Me to the Moon", which has been performed by Kaye Ballard, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, ...

, as the closing theme song. Different versions of the song were recorded by British singer Claire Littley,

Yoko Takahashi is a Japanese singer, who is best known for her work throughout the 1990s, most particularly for her singles which were performed for and featured in anime, most notably the ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' franchise. Early life Takahashi began le ...

and the anime's main female voice actors,

Megumi Hayashibara is a Japanese voice actress, singer, lyricist and radio personality from Kita ward in Tokyo and is affiliated with self-founded Woodpark Office. One of the most prominent Japanese voice actresses since the 1990s, Hayashibara is best known for ...

, Kotono Mitsuishi and

Yuko Miyamura Yuko may refer to: * Yuko (judo) (''yūkō''), a score in judo competition * Yuko (Ukrainian band), a Ukrainian band * Yūko, a Japanese female given name (including a list of persons with the name) * Yuko, a Belgian band * Yuko people Yukpa i ...

. The anime soundtrack was collected in three main albums, released in 1995 and 1996. These were followed by several studio albums, collections and remixes. Sagisu also composed the soundtracks for the ''

Rebuild of Evangelion ''Rebuild of Evangelion'', known in Japan and on Amazon Prime Video as , is a Japanese animated film series and a reboot of the original ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' anime television series, produced by Studio Khara. Hideaki Anno serves as the ...

'' tetralogy—a remake of the original series—and several derivative video games. Critics have compared several pieces to

Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

songs and soundtracks from earlier anime, such as ''

Mobile Suit Gundam , also retrospectively known as ''First Gundam'', ''Gundam 0079'' or simply ''Gundam '79'', is a Japanese anime television series produced by Nippon Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Na ...

'' and ''

Space Battleship Yamato is a Japanese science fiction anime series written by Yoshinobu Nishizaki, directed by manga artist Leiji Matsumoto, and produced by Academy Productions. The series aired in Yomiuri TV from October 6, 1974 to March 30, 1975, totaling u ...

''. Sagisu's work has been well received by critics and audiences alike; several albums and singles from the soundtrack have been certified gold or platinum in Japan, reaching the top of the national charts. According to ''SciFi Japan'', albums dedicated to ''Evangelion'' have sold a total of nine million copies.

Production

Writing and inspiration

The original soundtrack of ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' was composed by

and distributed by King Records, which was also directly involved in the conception and production of the series. The music was produced by the director and main scriptwriter of the series,

, who gave several instructions to the composer and was personally responsible for choosing the titles of the pieces. Toshimichi Ōtsuki, a representative of King Records, first approached Anno about making ''Evangelion'' and gave him the opportunity to launch the project, taking on the role of one of the series' producers. Ōtsuki gave Anno artistic freedom over the entire series' production, except for the series' opening theme song, " A Cruel Angel's Thesis". Working on Anno's direction, Sagisu sought to capture a "retro" feel in the soundtrack and tie it to the psychological themes of the series. For example, to give the Eva's cockpit the feel of a mother's womb, Anno asked him to compose a melody that would accentuate a feeling of nostalgia. Sagisu and Anno also attempted to differentiate the soundtrack from the soundtracks of other mecha anime series. Most of the compositions were produced with sounds and methods typical of the 1970s, avoiding the use of synthesisers to give the tracks a nostalgic sound. Most of the tracks give prominence to brass instruments, while other tracks emphasize cello or piano. According to writer Masaki Miyakawa, the nostalgic touch of Sagisu's compositions was due to the production process of Japanese animated series of the time; the designs were often not finished until after the production of the soundtrack, so director Anno would have given Sagisu directions by referring to existing products. The first recording sessions were held at King Records studios from 12 March 1995. Philip Brophy of ''Real Time'' compared Sagisu's soundtrack to the soundtrack of '' Thunderbirds'', and the works of

Steve Reich Stephen Michael Reich ( ; born October 3, 1936) is an American composer best known as a pioneer of minimal music in the mid to late 1960s. Reich's work is marked by its use of repetitive figures, slow harmonic rhythm, and canons. Reich descr ...

and

Ken Ishii is a Japanese Disc jockey, DJ and record producer from Sapporo. He graduated from Hitotsubashi University. He has released work under his own name as well as under the pseudonyms FLR, Flare, UTU, Yoga, and Rising Sun. Ishii had his first relea ...

. Miyakawa compared "Angel Attack" and "Decisive Battle" to the compositions of Japanese special effects ''

tokusatsu is a Japanese term for live-action films or television programs that make heavy use of practical special effects. Credited to special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, ''tokusatsu'' mainly refers to science fiction film, science fiction, War fi ...

'' films, such as

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films p ...

; "Angel Attack", in particular, has been compared to the soundtrack of

Ryūichi Sakamoto was a Japanese musician, composer, keyboardist, record producer, singer and actor. He pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the synth-based band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his YMO bandmates Haruomi Hoson ...

's ''

The Last Emperor ''The Last Emperor'' () is a 1987 epic biographical drama film about the life of Puyi, the last Emperor of China. It is directed by Bernardo Bertolucci from a screenplay he co-wrote with Mark Peploe, which was adapted from Puyi's 1964 auto ...

'' (1987) and the song from ''

''. According to Matthew Magnus Lundeen of ''

Game Rant Valnet, Inc. is a Canadian media company established in August 2012 by Hassan and Sam Youssef in Montreal, Quebec. It operates primarily in the entertainment media industry, where it has sought to acquire producers of content in this space. In ...

'', the song "Angel Attack", which he likened to the theme of ''Jaws'', was based on the compositions of old ''tokusatsu'' series, such as

Ultraman The , also known as ''Ultraman'', is a Japanese science fiction media franchise owned and produced by Tsuburaya Productions, which began with the television series '' Ultra Q'' in 1966. The franchise has expanded into many television shows, fi ...

or ''

Kamen Rider The , also known as ''Masked Rider Series'' (until ''Kamen Rider Decade, Decade'' and except Thailand), is a Japanese superhero fiction, superhero media franchise consisting of tokusatsu television programs, films, manga, and anime, created by ...

'', while "Decisive Battle" and "Angel Attack II" were compared to the music of

James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

films, specifically to the main theme of '' From Russia with Love'' (1963). Miyakawa compared "Rei I" to Sakamoto's compositions and the opening theme of ''Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind'' (1984), "Background Music" to "

My Sharona "My Sharona" () is the debut single by American power pop band the Knack. The song was written by Berton Averre and Doug Fieger, and it was released in 1979 from their debut album, '' Get the Knack''. It reached number one on the ''Billboard ...

" by

The Knack The Knack was an American power pop band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1978 by Doug Fieger (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Berton Averre (lead guitar, backing vocals), Prescott Niles (bass) and Bruce Gary (drums). Spearheaded by the succes ...

, "She said, 'Don't make others suffer for your personal hatred'" to the music of

the Ventures The Ventures are an American instrumental rock band formed in Tacoma, Washington, in 1958, by Don Wilson (musician), Don Wilson and Bob Bogle. The band, which was a quartet for most of its existence, helped to popularize the electric guitar acro ...

, "Nerv" to the music of ''

super sentai The is a Japanese superhero team media franchise consisting of television series and films produced by Toei Company and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi. The shows are of the '' tokusatsu'' genre, featuring live action characters and colorfu ...

'' series and "Asuka Strikes!" to

American country music Country (also called country and western) is a music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is primarily focused on singing stori ...

and "

Octopus's Garden "Octopus's Garden" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written and sung by Ringo Starr (credited to his real name Richard Starkey), from their 1969 album ''Abbey Road''. George Harrison, who assisted Starr with the song, commented: ...

" by

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

. Miyakawa and several fans have also noted similarities between Sagisu's work and the music of the anime ''

'', with which it shares the instrumentation of strings, horns, rhythm section and percussion. They have compared "Eva-01" to the song "The Birth" and the theme of ''Battleship Andromeda'', "Background Music II" to "The Original Space Battleship Yamato" track and the main theme of ''

The Magnificent Seven ''The Magnificent Seven'' is a 1960 American Western film directed by John Sturges. The screenplay, credited to William Roberts, is a remake – in an Old West-style – of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 Japanese film '' Seven Samurai'' (itself init ...

'' (1960), and noted that "Background Music III" may have been inspired by ''Yamato'' song "Hero's Hill", heard in the film '' Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato'' (1978). The music used in the twelfth episode during the confrontation against Sahaquiel was described by writer Dennis Redmond as "a Spanish-style aria reminiscent of Leone's

Spaghetti Western The spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's filmmaking style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...

s", while "Eva-00" has been compared to the works of

Bernard Herrmann Bernard Herrmann (born Maximillian Herman; June 29, 1911December 24, 1975) was an American composer and conductor best known for his work in film scoring. As a conductor, he championed the music of lesser-known composers. He is widely regarde ...

. According to Heike Hoffer, the music reflects the psychology of the characters in the series; Misato's theme has a jazzy, laid-back sound, Asuka's has a Western sound, and Rei's has a

Debussy Achille Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influe ...

-like harmonic piano. The track "Borderline Case", used during the introspective scenes featuring Shinji, has been noted for its metaphysical tone, and ambient or minimalist influence. According to a file on the album ''Refrain of Evangelion'', Misato's theme also has an unusual tune compared to the other soundtracks in the series; however, since Sagisu also participated in the composition of the music for the variety show ''

Waratte iitomo! was a Japanese variety show aired every weekday on Fuji TV. The show was hosted by Tamori (Kazuyoshi Morita) and ran from 1982 to 2014. The show was produced in the Studio Alta building in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The show featured a series of regular m ...

'', "this type of music is also his cup of tea". The series' opening theme song, "A Cruel Angel's Thesis", has been described by Jack Doyle of ''The Mary Sue'' as "a

baroque pop Baroque pop (sometimes called baroque rock) is a fusion genre that combines rock music with particular elements of classical music. It emerged in the mid-1960s as artists pursued a majestic, orchestral sound and is identifiable for its appropria ...

earworm". The original composition, characterised by sounds similar to music of the second half of the 1980s, has also been remixed into various genres, such as techno, jungle and traditional Japanese music.

Classical music

In addition to Sagisu's original compositions, the soundtrack also includes classical music, such as

's Suite for Cello Solo No.1 in G Major, Violin Partita No.3, Suite No. 3 in D Major and ''Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben'',

Johann Pachelbel Johann Pachelbel (also Bachelbel; baptised – buried 9 March 1706) was a German composer, organist, and teacher who brought the south German organ schools to their peak. He composed a large body of sacred and secularity, secular music, and ...

Canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...

Georg Friedrich Händel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque music, Baroque composer well-known for his opera#Baroque era, operas, oratorios, anthems, concerto grosso, concerti grossi, ...

's ''Messiah'',

's ''

Requiem A Requiem (Latin: ''rest'') or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead () or Mass of the dead (), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the souls of the deceased, using a particular form of the Roman Missal. It is ...

'' and

's ''

Ode to Joy "Ode to Joy" ( ) is an ode written in the summer of 1785 by the German poet, playwright, and historian Friedrich Schiller. It was published the following year in the Thalia (German magazine), German magazine ''Thalia''. In 1808, a slightly revi ...

''. Hideaki Anno, himself a fan of classical music, initially requested that the Polovician Dances, from Aleksandr Borodin's opera ''

Prince Igor ''Prince Igor'' (, ) is an opera in four acts with a prologue, written and composed by Alexander Borodin. The composer adapted the libretto from the early Russian epic '' The Lay of Igor's Host'', which recounts the campaign of the 12th-centur ...

'', be used as the opening theme song for the series, but that request was rejected by

TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as is a Japanese television station that serves as the flagship of the TX Network. Anno's use of classical music during violent scenes has been compared to

Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American filmmaker and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick filmography, his films were nearly all adaptations of novels or sho ...

's works. The Cello Suite, played by Shinji in the fifteenth episode of the series, was selected by screenwriter Akio Satsukawa, who is known for using classical music pieces, such as ''

Manon Lescaut ''The Story of the Chevalier des Grieux and Manon Lescaut'' ( ) is a novel by Antoine François Prévost. It tells a tragic love story about a nobleman (known only as the Chevalier des Grieux) and a common woman (Manon Lescaut). Their decisio ...

'' and ''

Madama Butterfly ''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It is based on the short story " Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Lu ...

'', in his works. ''Ode to Joy'' is used as the soundtrack for the series' twenty-fourth episode, and features lyrics with several parallels to the series' plot. The song was used to echo the theme of the episode and for the line "We enter intoxicated and quivering, O Heavenly One, into Thy temple". The piece was used in both the original series, in the scene in which

Kaworu Nagisa , real name , is a fictional character from the '' Neon Genesis Evangelion'' franchise created by Gainax. In the original television series, he is the pilot of a giant mecha named Evangelion Unit 02 for the special agency Nerv, as well as the ...

attempts to break into the deepst part of Nerv Headquarters, as well as in the film '' Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth'' and in the third installment of the ''

'' saga. Haiku Hoffer has noted how ''Ode to Joy'', unlike other pieces such as Bach's Cello Suite, is well known in Japan, as it is played during end-of-year concerts called ''Daiku''; the fact that Kaworu hums the piece in front of Shinji, seen in Japan as a song to be sung as a group symbol of cooperation and a sense of community, would immediately suggest to the Japanese viewer how the two characters are destined to become friends over the course of the series. Also audible in the piece is the phrase "''der Cherub steht vor Gott''", "the

cherub A cherub (; : cherubim; ''kərūḇ'', pl. ''kərūḇīm'') is one type of supernatural being in the Abrahamic religions. The numerous depictions of cherubim assign to them many different roles, such as protecting the entrance of the Garden of ...

stands before God", which Hoffer associates with the fact that Kaworu stands before the Angel

Lilith Lilith (; ), also spelled Lilit, Lilitu, or Lilis, is a feminine figure in Mesopotamian and Jewish mythology, theorized to be the first wife of Adam and a primordial she-demon. Lilith is cited as having been "banished" from the Garden of Eden ...

, a figure resembling a deity. Bach's ''Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring'' has also been used in ''Rebuild'' promotional videos.

Other songs

The soundtrack features contemporary songs that were not composed for the series. Tracks by

and

are used in several scenes of the series, usually as background music or on Shinji's

Digital Audio Tape Digital Audio Tape (DAT or R-DAT) is a signal recording and playback medium developed by Sony and introduced in 1987. In appearance it is similar to a Compact Cassette, using 3.81 mm / 0.15" (commonly referred to as 4 mm) magnetic t ...

player. The soundtrack features songs by Mitsuishi,

Misato Katsuragi is a fictional character from the Gainax-created media franchise ''Neon Genesis Evangelion''. In the eponymous anime television series, Misato is head of the operations department of the special agency Nerv, and is in charge of directing an ...

's original voice actress, including "You are the only one", "Aoi legend", and "Fall in a Star", all from ''Lilia 〜from Ys〜'', a 1992 album dedicated to the music of the '' Ys'' video game series. Mitsuishi's songs were also reused in '' Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone'' and later released in the related soundtrack albums. Okui's songs "Bay side love story -from Tokyo-", "Face", and , rom '' Gyuu'', the singer's first album, were used. The fifteenth episode also features , a 1973 song popular at Japanese weddings, recorded for the series during dubbing by

Junko Iwao is a Japanese voice actress and singer. Her most notable role is in ''Cardcaptor Sakura'', providing the voice to Sakura's best friend and cousin, Tomoyo Daidōji. She also voiced lead character Mima Kirigoe in ''Perfect Blue'', Ceres in '' Cer ...

Miki Nagasawa is a Japanese voice actress. She was raised in Fukushima. Formerly affiliated for Haikyo, she is affiliated with Atomic Monkey. On anime roles, she voiced the eponymous character in ''Vampire Princess Miyu'', Wedy in ''Death Note'' and Ma ...

and

Megumi Ogata is a Japanese actress and singer from the Greater Tokyo Area. As a singer, she goes by the name em:óu. She is best known for voicing Shinji Ikari in '' Neon Genesis Evangelion'', Yugi Mutou and Dark Yugi in the Toei version of ''Yu-Gi-Oh ...

"Fly Me to the Moon"

For the closing theme song, staff decided to use an existing song, "

" by

, with original arrangement and interpretation. The animations for the end theme song were designed and created by Masayuki, one of the assistant directors of the series. The song was later included in the various soundtrack albums and reused for some promotional videos of the feature films ''Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone'' and '' Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance'', the first and second chapters of the ''Rebuild''. The song is performed by British singer Claire Littley and the anime's female voice actors,

, Kotono Mitsuishi and Yuko Miyamura, in different versions from episode to episode. In one of the initial proposals, it was instead the opening theme song of the series that would change from episode to episode, imitating the opening song of '' Silver kamen''. The main version, arranged by Toshiyuki Omori and sung by Claire, was recorded at

Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a music recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, London, Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of ...

in London. In 2003, Gainax released a new edition of the series called Renewal, including a bonus disc containing various extras. A remastered version of "Fly Me to the Moon," without credits, was also added to the bonus disc. This extra was later added to subsequent Japanese editions, such as the Blu-ray box set of the series released in 2015. New versions of the piece were also added to the Renewal edition. The various versions of "Fly Me to the Moon" are:

Theme songs

"A Cruel Angel's Thesis"

, performed by

, is the

theme song Theme music is a musical composition which is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...

used in the anime. Two instrumental versions of the song were played in the finale, " Take care of yourself". Those versions were named "The Heady Feeling of Freedom" and "Good, or Don't Be", and scored for violin, piano and guitar. The single was released on 25 October 1995. It reached a peak rank 17 in the

Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics Statistics (from German language, German: ', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that ...

album database, in which it has appeared 61 times.

"Tamashii no Refrain"

was the theme song used for the first film in the ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' franchise, ''Evangelion: Death and Rebirth''. It was performed by Yoko Takahashi and released as a single on 21 February 1997. It ranked third on the Oricon charts, selling more than 800 thousand copies.

"Thanatos -If I Can't Be Yours-"

"Thanatos -If I Can't Be Yours-" is a song composed for ''The End of Evangelion'' and used as the end credits music. The single, with English lyrics sung by the duo Loren&Mash, was released on 1 August 1997. It reached number two on the Oricon charts, sold 600 thousand copies and was certified platinum. According to the book ''Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Unofficial Guide'', written by Kazuhisa Fujie and Martin Foster, the song's violent and pessimistic lyrics may refer to the psychoanalytic concept of

Thanatos In Greek mythology, Thanatos (; , ''Thánatos'', pronounced in "Death", from θνῄσκω ''thnēskō'' "(I) die, am dying") was the Personifications of death, personification of death. He was a minor figure in Greek mythology, often referre ...

, the destructive death drive postulated by

Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud ( ; ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating psychopathology, pathologies seen as originating fro ...

. Another song from the original series was also titled "Thanatos" for the same reason.

"Komm, süsser Tod"

"Komm, süsser Tod" (German, also rendered as "Komm, süßer Tod"; ; ''Come, Sweet Death'' in English; 甘き死よ、来たれ in Japanese) is a song composed for ''The End of Evangelion''. For the track, performed by Arianne, Anno wrote Japanese lyrics that were later translated into English by Mike Wyzgowski. The song is homonymous to a sacred song by Bach (BWV 478) and has been compared to "

Hey Jude "Hey Jude" is a song by the English rock music, rock band the Beatles that was released as a non-album single in August 1968. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The single was the Beatles' fir ...

" by the Beatles.

"Beautiful World"

"Beautiful World" was released on 29 August 2007. The track was performed by

Utada Hikaru , also known mononymously as Utada, is a Japanese and American singer, songwriter, and producer. She is considered to be one of the most influential and best-selling musical artists in Japan. She is best known by international audiences for w ...

and used as the end credits song for the first two installments of ''Rebuild of Evangelion''. The song reached number two on Oricon's weekly charts, and received platinum certification for selling 250,000 physical copies and diamond certification for one million certified digital sales.

"Sakura Nagashi"

was composed for '' Evangelion 3.0'' and performed by Utada Hikaru. It was released as a single on 17 November 2012 and was commercially successful, ranking number two on the

Billboard Japan Hot 100 The ''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100 is a record chart in Japan for songs. It has been compiled by ''Billboard Japan'' and Hanshin Contents Link since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at Billboard-japan.com ( JST) and every Thursday ...

"The Final Decision"

"0902 The Final Decision....alterna orchestra" is a digital single released by King Records on 24 April 2019 on various platforms, including iTunes. The single was released to advertise concerts for ''Evangelion Wind Symphony'', scheduled for May 2019 in several Japanese cities.

"One Last Kiss"

"One Last Kiss" was composed for the last installment of the ''Rebuild'' saga and sung by Utada Hikaru. The song, released on 9 March 2021 in the United States and in Japan on 10 March, reached number two on the Oricon charts and number 37 on the ''Billboard'' United States Album Sales chart.

"What if?"

was released as a single on 31 August 2021 alongside the release of '' Shin Evangelion'' on

Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...

. Shiro Sagisu composed and arranged the song, which was sung by Yoko Takahashi with Gina Foster and Derk Green as backing vocalists. Mike Wyzgowski wrote the lyrics. "What if?" was released as both a regular edition and a special high-resolution edition, and was made available on

Apple Music Apple Music is an audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users can select music to stream to their device on-demand, or listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the sister internet radio stations Apple Musi ...

Amazon Music Amazon Music (previously Amazon MP3) is a music streaming platform and digital music store operated by Amazon. As of January 2020, the service had 55 million subscribers. It was the first music store to sell music without digital rights manag ...

, iTunes Store, Recochoku, mora and e-onkyo. A sample of the song was released for a limited time on the official ''Evangelion'' Eva-Extra app. Another version called "memorial vocal" was also released on the ''Shin'' soundtrack. ''CD Journal'' wrote that: "The chemistry between Yoko Takahashi's mysterious and poignant voice and the song's music is a delight to the ears".

Soundtrack albums

''Neon Genesis Evangelion''

''Neon Genesis Evangelion'', known as ''Neon Genesis Evangelion I'', was the first album in the series by order of release, produced by Anno and distributed by King Records' Starchild label on 6 December 1995. Instead of naming the album after the Japanese name of the series, Toshimichi Ōtsuki of King Records chose the international title of the series, ''Neon Genesis''. The album includes the most frequently used songs and main characters' themes. The album also includes a version of the opening theme song called "Director's Edit. Version", on which Anno made changes to the chorus and restored the guitar interlude. The album had a positive commercial response, reaching number 12 on the Oricon album charts and remaining on the charts for 22 weeks. King Records re-released ''Neon Genesis Evangelion I'' in DVD-Audio on 21 December 2004 and a remastered version of the album called "2013 HR Remaster Ver." on 18 December 2013. A vinyl pressing of the album was also released on 9 September 2015. For the new release, Chris Bellman of Bernie Grundman Mastering remastered the original tracks in Los Angeles. Outside of Japan, Geneon Entertainment released the album in January 2004 in an edition including all of the original tracks. Jonathan Mays of ''

Anime News Network Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and ot ...

'' positively reviewed the album, saying: "Sagisu's themes are instantly memorable, making full use of a small chamber orchestra to make intensely personal music, a perfect match for Hideki Anno's soul-searching anime series." ''Lisani'' and ''Phile'' praised the "2013 HR Remaster Ver." edition, particularly with regard to the rendering and improved sound clarity. Sagisu received the Best Musician award at the 1997

Animation Kobe Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby image, still images are manipulated to create Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on cel, transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and e ...

for the soundtrack.

''Neon Genesis Evangelion II''

''Neon Genesis Evangelion II'' was released by Starchild on 16 February 1996, and re-released in a second edition on 22 December 2004. The album entered ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' charts; it remained on the national Oricon charts for 15 weeks, reaching fourth place. An image of Rei Ayanami drawn by series character designer

Yoshiyuki Sadamoto is a Japanese character designer, manga artist, and one of the founding members of the Gainax anime studio. Career When Gainax was originally founded as Daicon Film, Sadamoto served as animator on the second animated project, the Daicon IV op ...

was used for the album cover; Sadamoto was inspired by a version of "Fly Me to the Moon" sung by Megumi Hayashibara, the character's Japanese voice actress. On 18 December 2013, a remastered edition of the album called "2013 HR Remaster Ver" was released; the tracks were remastered at Bernie Grundman Studios in Hollywood under the supervision of Sagisu. Two versions of Hayashibara's "Fly Me to the Moon", from the fifth and sixth episodes, were included on the album. Only the chorus of the song had been recorded, at short notice, for the TV broadcast, and were released after fan requests. Outside Japan, the album was released in the US by Geneon in March 2004. Jonathan Mays of ''Anime News Network'' positively reviewed ''Neon Genesis Evangelion II''; Mays particularly praised "Both of You, Dance Like You Want to Win!" because of its "simple, humorous melody and solid instrumentation", calling it "the real gem" of the soundtrack. Orin Starchaser of ''Ex'' magazine described ''Neon Genesis Evangelion II'' as better than its predecessor and praised Takahashi's "Yokan" track. Starchaser criticized the album for including various versions of "Fly Me to the Moon"; the reviewer criticised the "Aya Bossa Techno" version in particular, which he called a "blemish on her record that really ought not be remembered".

''Neon Genesis Evangelion III''

The third album, ''Neon Genesis Evangelion III'', was released in Japan on 22 May 1996. It was redistributed on DVD-Audio on 22 December 2004. As with the previous two albums, a remastered version called "2013 HR Remaster Ver." was released on 18 December 2013. The album was released in the United States on 3 August 2004 by Geneon Entertainment. The album's content focused on synthesizer tracks, used mainly in the second half of the series. ''Neon Genesis Evangelion III'' was well received by the public. The album charted for 11 weeks on the Oricon charts, reaching number one, an achievement not achieved by an anime since ''

Galaxy Express 999 is a Japanese manga series. It is written and illustrated by Leiji Matsumoto, later adapted into a number of anime films and television series. It is set in a spacefaring, high-tech future in which humans have learned how to transfer ...

'' seventeen years earlier. Orin Starchaser of ''Ex'' stated that he enjoyed the album's first 22 tracks, such as "The Heady Feeling of Freedom" and "Good, or Don't Be", but as with the previous album, he criticised its repetition and the flatness of the various versions of "Fly Me to the Moon". Jonathan Mays of ''Anime News Network'' also expressed a similar opinion. ''CD Journal'', on the other hand, welcomed the 2013 remastered version of ''III'' and the previous two albums, stating: "The music is superb and can be listened to as a magnificent, sumptuous, delicate and romantic symphony."

''Neon Genesis Evangelion Addition''

''Neon Genesis Evangelion Addition'', the fourth album dedicated to the franchise, was released on 21 December 1996. ''Addition'' was released to commemorate the theatrical release of ''Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth''. Both a regular edition and a limited special edition with a special ''Death and Rebirth'' ticket attached were put on sale. Both editions were made available for a limited period during the film's production. When the album was announced, Gainax gave it the working title of ''Ex''. Initially only the limited edition was planned, but as many fans already had tickets for ''Death and Rebirth'' or lived in areas without cinemas open to the public, the regular edition was also released. ''Neon Genesis Evangelion Addition'' had good commercial success; the regular version managed placed five times in the Oricon charts, reaching fourth place, while the special edition stayed on for 29 weeks, reaching 18th place. ''Addition'' featured an audiodrama entitled . In the audiodrama, written and directed by Anno, the characters of ''Evangelion'' metanarratively break the fourth wall and discuss how to improve and continue the series. To commemorate the broadcast date of the first episode, the track was made available in 2019 on the official Eva-Extra app for a limited time. Kenneth Jin-ho Cho of ''Ex'' magazine praised the hilarity of the audiodrama and its use of classical music, but found the album to be superfluous: "Nothing on this disc is really a motivated purchase point and it seems more like an outlet for the cast of ''Evangelion'' to kick back and let loose with the vocal cords".

''Evangelion Death''

The album ''Evangelion Death'' was released on 11 June 1997. The album reached number one on the Oricon charts and was certified platinum.

''The End of Evangelion''

''The End of Evangelion'' was released on 26 September 1997. The album reached number three on the Oricon charts and was certified gold.

''Neon Genesis Evangelion: S² Works''

''Neon Genesis Evangelion: S² Works'' was released in Japan on 4 December 1998. The album appeared twice on the Oricon charts, peaking at number 38. Several unreleased pieces, or variations of pieces already used in the classic series, were included in the seven-disc album. King Records also included a phone card and a booklet containing explanations and lyrics of the songs with the album.

''Music from Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone''

''Music from Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone'' is the first soundtrack album featuring music from the film ''Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone'', composed by Shirō Sagisu. The album, which features unedited tracks, was released on 25 September 2007 by Starchild. Most of the songs are new versions of background music from the original ''Evangelion'' animated television series. The score was recorded by the London Studio Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios in London, England. The album peaked at number 28 on the Oricon charts, making 6 appearances in total.

''Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone Original Soundtrack''

''Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone Original Soundtrack'' (catalog number KICA 886) is the second soundtrack album of the 2007 film ''Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone''. It features music composed by Shirō Sagisu, edited for film length, as well as the film's theme songs performed by Hikaru Utada and three bonus songs. It peaked at number 38 on the Oricon albums chart, making a total of 9 appearances on the chart.

''Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance Original Soundtrack''

''Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance Original Soundtrack'' is the soundtrack album of the 2009 film ''Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance''. It features music composed by Shirō Sagisu and performed by the London Studio Orchestra as well as a choir of four. It peaked at number 8 in the Oricon album charts, charting for a total of 16 weeks.

''Music from Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo''

''Music from Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo'' is the soundtrack album of the 2012 film ''Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo''. It features music composed by Shiro Sagisu. The music featured is presented in its entirety, without being edited for film length. The album was released on 28 November 2012.

''Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo Original Soundtrack''

''Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo Original Soundtrack'' is the second soundtrack album of ''Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo''. It features music composed by Shirō Sagisu, as they were edited for use in the film, as well as the film's credit song performed by Hikaru Utada. It was sold as a first press release with the Blu-Ray and DVD of the movie and was released on 24 April 2013.

''Music from "Shin Evangelion" Evangelion: 3.0+1.0''

''Music from "Shin Evangelion" Evangelion: 3.0+1.0'' is the soundtrack album of the 2021 film ''Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time''. It features the film's unedited tracks, composed by Shirō Sagisu. The album was released on 17 March 2021.

Compilation albums

''The Day of Second Impact''

''Evangelion: The Day of Second Impact'' was released on 13 September 2000, the date on which a catastrophic event called Second Impact occurs within the fictional narrative of the series. It included "A Cruel Angel's Thesis", "Fly Me to the Moon" and several other tracks that had already been released on previous albums. The album ranked twice on the Oricon charts, reaching number 20. Outside Japan, it was released by Geneon Entertainment. Jonathan Mays of ''Anime News Network'' praised the album, especially for its inclusion of what he called the series' best tracks.

''Evangelion: The Birthday of Rei Ayanami''

''Evangelion: The Birthday of Rei Ayanami'' was released on 30 March 2001 to celebrate Rei Ayanami's birthday. It included several songs related to the character and a version of "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" sung by Megumi Hayashibara, Rei's Japanese voice actress. Hayashibara stated that in singing the song, she was thinking of the scene in which Rei smiles for the first time at Shinji Ikari in the film version of ''Evangelion'', avoiding giving the impression of a cold character. The album placed three times on the Oricon charts, reaching number 45.

''Refrain of Evangelion''

''Refrain of Evangelion'' was released on 24 July 2003 to coincide with the release of the ''Renewal of Evangelion'' home video edition; the album included 26 tracks, including "Everything You've Ever Dreamed", a track originally intended for ''The End of Evangelion''.

''Neon Genesis Evangelion Decade''

''Neon Genesis Evangelion Decade'' was released on 26 October 2005, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the series. It included several tracks featured on previous albums, a previously unreleased track performed by Hayashibara as Rei and a new version of the series' theme song. The first release was included inside a special cardboard case and accompanied by previously unreleased official illustrations. The album ranked for 91 weeks on the Oricon charts, reaching number 24.

''A.T. Eva01 Reference CD''

''A.T. Eva01 Reference CD'' was released by King Records on 27 December 2007, a few months after the debut of Rebuild. As an accompaniment, King also distributed a pair of ''Evangelion''-themed official headphones.

''Neon Genesis Evangelion Soundtrack 25th Anniversary Box''

''Neon Genesis Evangelion Soundtrack 25th Anniversary Box'' was released on 7 October 2020, marking the 25th anniversary of the series. The album, originally scheduled for release on 25 March, comprised several tracks from the classic series and the 1997 film, including a new version of Takahashi's "Fly Me to the Moon", and came with a special booklet. The album managed to place three times on the Oricon charts, reaching number 28.

''Evangelion Finally''

''Evangelion Finally'' was released by King Records on 7 October 2020 to coincide with the series' 25th anniversary. The original release date, 13 May 2020, was postponed for production reasons. The album was released in a regular edition and a limited special edition. An official booklet containing interviews with Takahashi and Hayashibara was also included in the package. Outside Japan, the album was released in a two-disc edition by Milan Records. The album featured nine tracks, and six bonus tracks, including a new version of "Fly Me to the Moon" sung by Takahashi and a new arrangement of "Kokoro Yo Genshini Modore". A saxophone was inserted into the first part of "Kokoro Yo Genshini Modore" at Takahashi's suggestion; the chorus of the original version, sung by her brother Gō, was replaced by one sung by Takahashi herself. The song was also used in Espirit Japon, a program broadcast by

BS Fuji is a Japanese satellite broadcasting television channel owned by , a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fuji Media Holdings. The LCN is "8" from Fuji Television's analog master station, channel 8, which is also the digital channel number used for most ...

. The album had a positive commercial response, charting 33 times on the Oricon charts and reaching number 6. The album also peaked in popularity during January and March 2021, coinciding with the release of the last ''Rebuild'' installment. In the United States, it debuted at number 111 on the ''

Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists. Sometimes, a rec ...

'' and number 8 on

Top Album Sales The Top Album Sales is a music chart released weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine listing each week's top-selling albums in the United States. The chart has been published since December 13, 2014, although the magazine also retrospectively recognize ...

with almost 9,000 sales.

Arranged albums

''Evangelion-Vox''

''Evangelion-Vox'' was released by King Records on 3 December 1997. The album included 20 hip-hop and R&B tracks and remixes recorded by Sagisu after the release of ''The End of Evangelion''. Sagisu rearranged the compositions, incorporating spoken interludes and vocal samples of characters from the series. Several British artists contributed to the album, such as rapper Mali, Loren & Mash, lovers' rock singer Carrol Thompson, Camelle Hinds, vocalist for the soul group Central Line, and an unidentified artist known by the pseudonym The Lord. Outside Japan, it was distributed by Milan Records in 2022. The album received a positive commercial response, appearing 6 times on the Oricon charts and peaking at number 10.

''Evangelion Wind Symphony No.1''

''Evangelion Wind Symphony No.1'' was released in Japan on 9 December 2009. The album features the main tracks from the series, rearranged for brass instruments under Sagisu's supervision. The album included a CD-ROM containing PDFs with sheet music of the songs and a booklet with comments, interviews and detailed explanations about the various pieces.

''Evangelion Wind Symphony No.2''

King Records released ''Evangelion Wind Symphony No.2'' on 9 December 2009 simultaneously with the first volume and with the same extra content. On 7 September 2018, songs from the two albums were performed by the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra at the

Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre is a centre for the performing arts located in Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. History The theatre opened in 1990 and is operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture. Yoshinobu Ashihara was the architect, with a ...

under the direction of Masamichi Amano.

''Evangelion PianoForte #1''

''Evangelion PianoForte #1'' was released on 23 October 2013. The album included several pieces from the ''Rebuild'' soundtrack rearranged for piano and performed under Sagisu's supervision. The cover art, depicting Shinji and Kaworu with a piano as the background, was designed by Takeshi Honda.

''The world! Evangelion Jazz night =The Tokyo III Jazz club=''

''The world! Evangelion Jazz night =The Tokyo III Jazz club='' was released on 24 December 2014. The album contains several jazz arrangements of Sagisu's music and three songs performed and written by Megumi Hayashibara. The album cover was designed by

Moyoco Anno is a Japanese mangaka, manga artist and fashion writer, with numerous books published in both categories. Her work ''Sugar Sugar Rune'' won the Kodansha manga award for children in 2005. Anno is married to director Hideaki Anno of ''Neon Genesi ...

, wife of the series' director. The sixth and seventh tracks were released as separate tracks on the CD, but in a later high-resolution edition they were merged into one track. The eighth track, "Dilemmatic Triangle Opera", was supposed to be sung by Hayashibara in Rei Ayanami's tone, but the take was abandoned in the process and instead released on Hayashibara's own ''Fifty〜Fifty'' album.

''ShiroSagisu Outtakes from Evangelion (vol.1)''

''ShiroSagisu Outtakes from Evangelion (Vol.1)'' was released by King Records on 30 July 2016. The album, produced in honour of the 25th anniversary of Anno and Sagisu's collaboration, which began with the series ''Nadia'', includes previously unreleased tracks by Sagisu and songs used for

Japan Animator Expo is a weekly series of original net animations released as part of a collaboration between Hideaki Anno's Studio Khara and Dwango, consisting of various anime shorts produced by many directors. The project began release from 7 November 2014 t ...

. ''Outtakes'' was released at the same time as Anno's ''Shin Godzilla'' soundtrack and sold alongside it. The album included the "Londonderry orchestra+piano" track, originally planned for ''Evangelion 3.0'', a version of "Everything you've ever dreamed" by Arianne based on a version from ''Evangelion Piano #1'' and "1155 twenty-five degrees of frost", first released in 2013 on ''A.T. EVA HQ-3.0''.

Live albums

''Evangelion Symphony''

was released by King Records on 22 December 1997. It includes songs from the soundtrack performed by the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra at the Bunkamura Orchard Hall on 6, 7, 8, 9 and 14 July 1997, prior to the release of ''The End of Evangelion''. The voice cast from the series attended the event; it was recorded and later released on Laserdisc.

''Shin Godzilla vs Evangelion Symphony''

''Shin Godzilla vs Evangelion Symphony'' was released on 27 December 2017. The album merged the soundtracks of ''Evangelion'' and ''Shin Godzilla'', both directed by Anno. The music was performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra on 22 and 23 March of that year. The album placed twice on the Oricon charts, placing 44th.

Studio albums

''Evangelion Classic 1 – Beethoven: Symphony No.9 "Choral"''

was released on 22 October 1997, then redistributed on 6 November 2013.

''Evangelion Classic 2 – Verdi: Requiem''

was released on 22 October 1997, then redistributed on 6 November 2013.

''Evangelion Classic 3 – George Frideric Händel: Messiah (Complete)''

was published on 22 October 1997.

''Evangelion Classic 4 – J.S. Bach: Orchestral Suite No.3 & others''

was released on 22 October 1997, and then redistributed on 6 November 2003.

''Refrain: The Songs Were Inspired by Evangelion''

''Refrain: The Songs Were Inspired by Evangelion'' was released on 6 November 1997 simultaneously with ''

Li-La ''Li-La'' is the sixth album from Yoko Takahashi is a Japanese singer, who is best known for her work throughout the 1990s, most particularly for her singles which were performed for and featured in anime, most notably the ''Neon Genesis Evang ...

'', Takahashi's sixth album. Takahashi herself sang all of the songs on the album. The album received a positive commercial response, topping the Oricon charts six times and reaching number six. Patrick Gan of ''Original Sound Version'' wrote a positive review on the album, praising the track "Kibō no Sora" and the new arrangement of "Shiawase wa Tsumi no Nioi".

''Evangelion Extreme''

''Evangelion Extreme'' was released on 22 May 2019. The album featured several songs used for pachinko games dedicated to ''Evangelion'' and an unreleased song called "Akaki Tsuki". Special complimentary stickers were also included with the disc. The album included a lyrics booklet published in Japanese and English. Yoshinori Kameda designed the illustration used as the album cover, which had been used in 2013 for the game . The new songs were written by Takahashi, who created the pieces while reflecting on ''Evangelion'' and its theme of motherhood. Takahashi experimented with elements of EDM and beatbox on the album. The tracks were also used for the game , released in December 2019.

''Evangelion Infinity''

''Evangelion Infinity'' is a three-disc album released on 21 July 2021. Outside of Japan, ''Infinity'' was released digitally by Milan Records. Several arrangements of classic songs from the soundtrack were included on the album, including a version of "Decisive Battle" used by Anno in ''Shin Godzilla''. The album was originally intended for a double-disc release, but a third was added during production and the catalogue numbers changed accordingly. The album was commercially successful, charting seven times on the Oricon charts and peaking at number fourteen.

Notes

References

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Neon Genesis Evangelion Anime soundtracks Video game soundtracks Music by media franchise