The Neon Genesis Evangelion series is known as one of the best and most popular anime series of all time, as well as one of the most controversial. The same goes for the movie The End of Evangelion, which is currently making waves for reasons other than its potentially confusing ending.
The film review and celebration website Letterboxd is known for its reviews of movies, although its recent ranking of the best films of all time has upset some Evangelion fans. The film was temporarily removed from the site's rankings due to its association with the show. It has now been reinstated, showing just how much it means to fans of the series.
Evangelion's Ending Was Just Deleted – and Then Restored – on Letterboxd
On September 4, 2024, David Vis's list of the “Top 250 Official Narrative Feature Films” on Letterboxd underwent a radical change more brutal than an angel's thesis. The End of Evangelion was removed from this and other official lists on the site, citing that it was a continuation of the plot of the anime television series. As Vis explained:
After much deliberation, we have decided among many official list makers to remove Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion from our official list. It did not qualify for the Top 100 Anime, and we collectively decided that this is the approach we want to take on other official lists as well. One of our common conclusions was that we did not want to continue the show's stories on our official list, and that is clearly the case here.
However, fans of the classic series were immediately outraged by the arbitrary rating system, with some viewing it as a form of artistic and entertainment control. The news spread across multiple forums and within the Evangelion fan community. As the series is now 30 years old (with the Neon Genesis Evangelion manga series being released in 1994), it was a major blow to those who revere the mecha series. Vis and Letterboxd reversed the decision a week later, restoring The End of Evangelion's listing on the site.
After further review, the list moderators agreed that our recent approach to the eligibility criteria for the official Top 250 was too strict and have revised it, which will once again allow End of Evangelion to be included on the list.
Defining art is hard, and defining it into a list is an ever-evolving process. Letterboxd has always been community-led, and we value the collaboration and communication we have with each other in this wonderful place!
The End of Evangelion was released in 1997, and it served as a replacement for the mysterious ending of the original Neon Genesis Evangelion anime series. That show was significantly hampered by budget cuts at the studio that produced the series, Gainax, which prevented the final episodes from capturing the intended scope that creator and director Hideaki Anno had intended. The film's ending is still considered one of the best anime films of all time, both for its satisfying conclusion to the show's story and its incredible production values. As a result, memes and visual references to the film continue to be created to this day.
Source: Letterboxd
