Evangelion Studio Begins Piracy Crackdown After Its Exclusive New Anime Release Leaks Online

Neon Genesis Evangelion is currently celebrating its 30th anniversary in Japan at a special event in Yokohama City, where fans are being given exclusive looks at production materials, updates on the franchise, and announcements about upcoming projects. Just this past week, a new Evangelion anime was announced, and a short by creator Hideaki Anno was screened.

The short was intended to be an exclusive viewing for those who attended the event, but it didn't take long for recordings and images to surface online. Within hours, the entire production with English subtitles was shared by thousands on social media, and studio Khara quickly released a statement condemning the dissemination of unauthorized recordings.

Studio Khara Cracks Down on the Spread of Its New Evangelion Anime Short

Evangelion's Studio will "Take Strict Measures as Necessary"

Evangelion fans around the world were intrigued by the announcement of a new animated short by Hideaki Anno, given that 2021's Evangelion 3.0+1.0 was marketed as the franchise's final anime production. As a result, countless social media users took to the internet this past weekend in search of any footage.

The short focuses on Asuka, giving fans a look into her perspective during Instrumentality and the Third Impact, before cutting to a title card that reads "27", accompanied by "Komm, süsser Tod" from 1997's The End of Evangelion. It took only hours before clips and images of the anime appeared across social media sites on February 21st.

The following day, event management released a statement, saying:

We have confirmed unauthorized recording at "EVANGELION:30+;" STAGE AREA performances and the unauthorized reposting/sharing of such content online. These acts are strictly prohibited and may result in legal action. As the organizer, we will review posts and take strict measures as necessary. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Prior to the event, it was not specified whether the anime short was intended for commercial release or limited screenings. Following the reactions from online fans, Hideaki Anno reportedly stated that he will work with relevant parties in order to release as much content from the event as possible.

Evangelion's 30th Anniversary Event Has Sparked Discussion and Excitement Among Fans

Evangelion's new anime short, and its reported canonization of Asuka and Shinji as a couple, were the least shocking developments to take place at the anniversary event this past week. On February 23rd, it was announced that an all-new Evangelion anime series written by Nier creator Yoko Taro was currently in production between Studio Khara and CloverWorks.

The series will be Evangelion's first animated entry not spearheaded by Hideaki Anno. It's an exciting time to be a fan of Neon Genesis Evangelion, but fans will want to avoid spreading or interacting with any unauthorized content coming from the "EVANGELION:30+;" event.