Many thought this day would never come, but rejoice, as the original TV anime for Neon Genesis Evangelion is coming to Blu-ray and digital download in North America. GKIDS is distributing the 26-episode show and the first two films, Evangelion: Death (True)² and The End of Evangelion, sometime in 2021.
This is the first time that the 1995 Neon Genesis Evangelion TV anime and its two movies are released on Blu-ray in North America. Western watchers could only hope to get the VHS or DVDs from the 90s, or the "Platinum Edition" DVD release from 2005 if they wished to have a physical copy of the influential show.
Evangelion: Death (True)² is the a compilation film of the anime TV series with some updated footage. The End of Evangelion film provided a new ending to the original story.
It's currently unknown if GKIDS will release the 1995 versions with original English dub and music or the Netflix version with their new English cast and soundtrack. GKIDS is also releasing an "Ultimate Edition," but details on that are also unclear.
However, it's still astounding that the series can now reach new anime fans in streaming through Netflix or physically collectible since the only way to watch it was through illegal stream sites. It's a great announcement as we approach the TV anime 25th anniversary.
Story synopsis of the TV anime from Netflix:
A.D. 2015. Tokyo 3 is under attack by powerful creatures known as the Angels. The protagonist, Shinji Ikari, is chosen to pilot the Humanoid Decisive Weapon Evangelion -- the only way for humanity to fight against the Angels. The battle for the fate of humanity starts now. What exactly are the Angels? What fate awaits the young pilots and humanity itself? - Netflix