Latest news with #Evangelion
Time Out
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Evangelion's 30th-anniversary art exhibition is happening later this year
It's almost time to get in the robot again. From November 14 2025 to January 12 2026, Tokyo City View will be hosting 'All of Evangelion', an art exhibition to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the beloved Evangelion franchise. As its name suggests, the exhibition will span the entirety of Evangelion's decades-long history, featuring everything from original cels and drawings from the Neon Genesis Evangelion anime series to never-before-seen digital materials from the Rebuild of Evangelion films. With planning support from big names like Studio Khara, the Anime Tokusatsu Archive Centre and more, the event is bound to offer plenty to enjoy for both casual and die-hard Eva fans alike. Directed by Hideaki Anno and produced by animation studio Gainax, Neon Genesis Evangelion follows the story of 14-year-old Shinji Ikari, a boy recruited to pilot a giant mech known as an 'Eva' to fight mysterious creatures called Angels. Released in October 1995, the 26-episode animated series has since spawned several films, spin-offs, video games and a vast multitude of merch collabs ranging from Fila to McDonald's.
Geek Culture
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
'Neon Genesis Evangelion' Celebrates 30th Anniversary With Special Exhibition This Nov
The impact of Neon Genesis Evangelion on popular media has hardly waned over the years, so it's easy to forget that the iconic mecha series will hit the big '3' this year (the first episode premiered on 4 October back in the day, so it's not quite there yet). 30周年記念展ALL OF EVANGELION#オールエヴァ展 ▶2025年10月に30周年を迎える「エヴァンゲリオン」シリーズ。作品を構成する緻密な制作資料が一堂に介し、誕生前夜から最新情報に至るまでたどる「祝祭」が #東京シティービュー にて開幕します✨ 🔍公式サイトはこちらから — 30周年記念展「ALL OF EVANGELION」 (@ao_eva30exhibit) June 18, 2025 In celebration of its 30th anniversary, a special exhibition titled ALL OF EVANGELION is set to open at Tokyo City View this fall, kicking off on 14 November and running through the new year until 12 January 2026. The event is being organised with the help of Studio Khara — which owns the rights to the IP from Gainax — and other partners, treating fans to a showcase of diverse production materials, including rare animation cels, original drawings, and design documents from the original 1995 show. Digital assets from the Rebuild of Evangelion film series will also be featured, charting its legacy from 2007 to 2021. A reboot of the original series with new elements, it comprises 2007's Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone , 2009's Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance , and 2012's Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo , coming to a definite close with 2021's Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time . More details about the exhibit will be shared in the lead-up to its launch. Directed by Hideaki Anno at Gainax, Neon Genesis Evangelion follows 14-year-old Shinji Ikari, who is recruited by the mysterious organisation NERV to pilot a giant mecha called 'Evangelion' to fight against monsters known as 'Angels' in a post-apocalyptic world. It originally aired from October 1995 to March 1996, and has spawned multiple movies, reboots, and spin-offs, alongside countless brand collaborations — from a crossover with mobile title Goddess of Victory: NIKKE and PC builds from PC and peripheral company ROG, to themed hotel rooms and even rations. The ALL OF EVANGELION special exhibition takes place from 14 November 2025 to 12 January 2026. Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really. ALL OF EVANGELION Hideaki Anno Japan neon genesis evangelion
Straits Times
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
‘Invasive species'? Japan's growing pains on immigration
Japan's declining domestic population is complicating things, says the writer. PHOTO: EPA-EFE Hello Kitty seems an unlikely trigger for an immigration debate. But that's what happened in Japan this week, when Megumi Hayashibara, the prominent voice actress behind iconic characters such as Kitty and Rei Ayanami – from the long-running anime franchise Evangelion – took to her blog to discuss the growing population of outsiders. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Japan Times
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
Cultural anxiety and Japan's immigration pains
Hello Kitty seems an unlikely trigger for an immigration debate. But that's what happened in Japan this week when Megumi Hayashibara, a prominent voice actress behind icons from Kitty to the long-running anime franchise "Evangelion's" Rei Ayanami, took to her blog to discuss the growing population of outsiders. She called for a crackdown on rule-breaking foreigners and criticized overseas students on free scholarships while locals pay for their education. The thrust of her post was a call for readers to vote. But her most cutting remark was a fear that local habits and Japaneseness itself might be lost if current trends continue, like the native crayfish endangered by an "invasive species' of crustacean threatening its natural habitat. (After online outrage, Hayashibara deleted the reference to crayfish.) While it's hardly the protests in Los Angeles, her comments show how immigration is becoming a heated topic in a country where it has only recently become a feature. And it's one that authorities should not ignore, as politicians elsewhere were content to do until fringe groups become seen as the only ones with the answers. I wrote in 2022 about how Tokyo, long stereotyped as being closed to immigration, was accepting more foreign nationals than many realized. That trend continues, with immigrants nearly doubling in the past decade and a record 10% jump in 2024. It's less the absolute level as the pace of change: Foreign residents have gone from less than 1% to more than 3% of the population in the past three decades and will reach around 10% in 2050. Criticism is fueled by the mistakes of Western nations and promoted by influencers who conflate Japan with other countries. Tokyo's strategy has been far subtler than many nations now struggling with anti-immigration populism, but it's no less vulnerable to the YouTube algorithm: A quick search for "Japan immigration issues' immediately turns up videos by the likes of the ubiquitous Hiroyuki Nishimura, the message-board entrepreneur with millions of followers and a controversial take on everything. These videos have titles like "Why should Japanese have to provide for foreigners?,' "Japan is defenseless' and "Japan will no longer be a country for Japanese!' What they ignore is that Japan doesn't have a vast force of idle foreign residents who are burdening the state. It accepts few asylum seekers, has been selective about the nationalities it attracts and has functioning border control. The number of illegal residents is a quarter of three decades ago, despite the increase in foreign nationals; the number of foreign-committed crimes shows a similar downtrend. Copy-pasted arguments from other countries don't apply here. But there are also areas of legitimate concern where authorities have not kept pace. From worries that short-term stayers are exploiting Japan's generous medical insurance system, to a bizarre loophole allowing tourists to easily get Japanese drivers' licenses, there's a worry that the country's hospitality is being exploited. The declining domestic population is complicating things. Working-age locals fell by 224,000 last year. This simultaneously lifts the need for foreigners to supplement the labor force, while heightening concerns about Japanese being "replaced' in their own country. The truth of Hayashibara's comments lies in the fact that the thing many love about Japanese society — the "it just works' nature of public life, from mass transit to health care to the low crime rate — is deeply dependent on everyone following the rules. Newcomers are often irked by all the procedures, from putting out garbage to talking on the subway. But these are necessary for residents, in particular those in cities stacked cheek-by-jowl, to coexist in harmony. Hayashibara's complaints about bad manners will be familiar to those who live in Japan, foreign or local; everyday annoyances have increased since the borders were reopened after COVID-19. In a Justice Ministry survey, nearly 78% said they most wanted foreign residents to follow local rules and customs. The government hasn't kept up with the times. Only now is Tokyo discussing simple issues, such as stopping tourists with unpaid medical debt from returning or rejecting visa extensions for those who haven't paid health care. I recently noted Japan doesn't track how easy it is for foreigners to buy property. A highly followed story since then concerns a Tokyo building where foreign ownership is seemingly seeking to force out residents to operate an illegal Airbnb. Politicians are reacting, slowly. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has pledged the country "will accept foreigners who follow the rules' while cautioning that those who don't "will be dealt with strictly.' Longtime ruling party leadership candidate Taro Kono has recently been burnishing his credentials by criticizing illegal immigration. It's all the growing pains of a changing nation. Talk of "invasive species' is unhelpful at best. But Japan also shouldn't repeat the mistakes of countries that dismissed citizens' concerns about immigration and ghettoization, only to watch them turn to fringe politicians when no one else would listen. The way to stave off the rise of populist talking heads is to address these worries and enforce a sense of fairness and equal treatment. After all, what else would Kitty want? Gearoid Reidy is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Japan and the Koreas.
Mint
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
‘Invasive Species'? Japan's Growing Pains on Immigration
Hello Kitty seems an unlikely trigger for an immigration debate. But that's what happened in Japan this week when Megumi Hayashibara, a prominent voice actress behind icons from Kitty to the long-running anime franchise Evangelion's Rei Ayanami, took to her blog to discuss the growing population of outsiders. She called for a crackdown on rule-breaking foreigners, and criticized overseas students on free scholarships while locals pay for their education. The thrust of her post was a call for readers to vote. But her most cutting remark was a fear that local habits and Japaneseness itself might be lost if current trends continue, like the native crayfish endangered by an 'invasive species' of crustacean threatening its natural habitat. While it's hardly the protests in Los Angeles, her comments show how immigration is becoming a heated topic in a country where it has only recently become a feature. And it's one that authorities should not ignore, as politicians elsewhere were content to do until fringe groups become seen as the only ones with the answers. I wrote in 2022 about how Tokyo, long stereotyped as being closed to immigration, was accepting more foreigners than many realized. That trend continues, with immigrants nearly doubling in the past decade and a record 10% jump in 2024. It's less the absolute level as the pace of change: Foreign residents have gone from less than 1% to more than 3% of the population in the past three decades, and will reach around 10% in 2050. Criticism is fueled by the mistakes of Western nations and promoted by influencers who conflate Japan with other countries. Tokyo's strategy has been far subtler than many nations now struggling with anti-immigration populism, but it's no less vulnerable to the YouTube algorithm: A quick search for 'Japan immigration issues' immediately turns up videos by the likes of the ubiquitous Hiroyuki Nishimura, the message-board entrepreneur with millions of followers and a controversial take on everything. These videos have titles like 'Why should Japanese have to provide for foreigners?', 'Japan is defenseless' and 'Japan will no longer be a country for Japanese!' What they ignore is that Japan doesn't have a vast force of idle foreigners who are burdening the state. It accepts few asylum seekers, has been selective about the nationalities it attracts, and has functioning border control. The number of illegal residents is a quarter of three decades ago, despite the increase in foreigners; the number of foreign-committed crimes shows a similar downtrend. Copy-pasted arguments from other countries don't apply here. But there are also areas of legitimate concern where authorities have not kept pace. From worries that short-term stayers are exploiting Japan's generous medical insurance system, to a bizarre loophole allowing tourists to easily get Japanese drivers' licenses, there's a worry that the country's hospitality is being exploited. The declining domestic population is complicating things. Working-age locals fell by 224,000 last year. This simultaneously lifts the need for foreigners to supplement the labor force, while heightening concerns about Japanese being 'replaced' in their own country. The truth of Hayashibara's comments lies in the fact that the thing many love about Japanese society — the 'it just works' nature of public life, from mass transit to healthcare to the low crime rate — is deeply dependent on everyone following the rules. Newcomers are often irked by all the procedures, from putting out garbage to talking on the subway. But these are necessary for residents, in particular those in cities stacked cheek-by-jowl, to coexist in harmony. Hayashibara's complaints about bad manners will be familiar to those who live in Japan, foreign or local; everyday annoyances have increased since the borders were reopened after Covid. In a Justice Ministry survey, nearly 78% said they most wanted foreign residents to follow local rules and customs. The government hasn't kept up with the times. Only now is Tokyo discussing simple issues, such as stopping tourists with unpaid medical debt from returning or rejecting visa extensions for those who haven't paid healthcare. I recently noted Japan doesn't track how easy it is for foreigners to buy property. A highly followed story since then concerns a Tokyo building where foreign ownership is seemingly seeking to force out residents to operate an illegal Airbnb. Politicians are reacting, slowly. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has pledged the country 'will accept foreigners who follow the rules' while cautioning that those who don't 'will be dealt with strictly.' Longtime ruling party leadership candidate Taro Kono has recently been burnishing his credentials by criticizing illegal immigration. It's all the growing pains of a changing nation. Talk of 'invasive species' is unhelpful at best. But Japan also shouldn't repeat the mistakes of countries that dismissed citizens' concerns about immigration and ghettoization, only to watch them turn to fringe politicians when no one else would listen. The way to stave off the rise of populist talking heads is to address these worries, and enforce a sense of fairness and equal treatment. After all, what else would Kitty want? More From Bloomberg Opinion: The figure also lowballs the total, as Japan does not count foreigners who became naturalized citizens. This column reflects the personal views of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Gearoid Reidy is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Japan and the Koreas. He previously led the breaking news team in North Asia, and was the Tokyo deputy bureau chief. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
