Sensei Carl vs. the Apocalypse

The End of Evangelion is a 1997 Japanese animated apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Hideaki Anno and Kazuya Tsurumaki, written by Anno, and animated by Gainax and Production I.G. It serves as an ending to the anime television series Neon Genesis Evangelion, which aired from 1995 to 1996. The staff had little time to produce the final episodes of the original series, particularly due to Anno's indecision over how to conclude the series and the troubled production schedule. For The End of Evangelion, Gainax revisited ideas that it had previously discarded due to time constraints, particularly for the twenty-fifth episode. Taking place after the twenty-fourth episode of the series, the film follows the paramilitary organization Nerv as they are attacked by the secret organization Seele, who seek to initiate a process named the Human Instrumentality Project, while Nerv operations director Misato Katsuragi searches for Shinji Ikari to pilot his mecha Evangelion. The series' voice actors reprised their roles, including Megumi Ogata as Shinji, Yūko Miyamura as Asuka, and Megumi Hayashibara as Rei. The film has been described by Anno and in official materials as both a remake of the final two episodes and an alternative ending to the original series, like a multi-ending video game. Shortly before the release, Anno and Gainax released another film, Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth; the first segment, Death, summarizes the first twenty-four episodes of the series while the second segment, Rebirth, previews The End of Evangelion. In 1998, Gainax combined the overlapping films into Revival of Evangelion. The End of Evangelion was a box-office success, grossing ¥2.47 billion. The film was honored at the Awards of the Japanese Academy and the Animation Kobe, and won the 1997 Animage Anime Grand Prix. Critics praised its direction, editing, emotional power, and script, though some criticized its oblique religious symbolism and abstraction. Reviewers and publications have since ranked it among the greatest animated films of all time.