Get In The Robot And Get The ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’: Ultimate Edition Set
If there are more than 5,000 statesideEvangelionfans reading this (and you also happen to be Blu-ray collectors), then some of you may want to stop what you are doing and gather your financial resources. The fullNeon Genesis EvangelionTV series, along with the moviesEvangelion: Death (True)2andThe End of Evangelion,are coming to Blu-ray in North America for the first time.
TheNeon Genesis Evangelion: Ultimate Editionset is sure to have fans chomping at the bit, perhaps even salivating in the manner of a feral Eva unit. The only catch is that there is a very limited run with this thing: only 5,000 copies. It will be sold exclusively through the online store of distributorGKIDS(with a limit of 1 per customer). Presently, it’s available for pre-order atGKIDS.com/Evangelion. Let’s just hope that by the time you read this, the thing’s not already sold out.
For UK fans, the Ultimate Edition set is distributed by Anime Ltd. The official press release contains the information linkevangelion.alltheanime.comand notes that you “can look forward toAugust 30th, 2021,for information on forthcoming editions.”
So what precisely is included in this set? Well, let’s break it down like an Eva going into berserker mode.
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Ultimate Edition Set Details
Here’s the overview that the press release gives for theNeon Genesis Evangelion:Ultimate Edition Blu-ray set:
The NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: Ultimate Edition was created by fans as the definitive celebration of one of the most important and influential anime series of all time, featuring exclusive artwork, merch, a 156-page book, and over 7 hours of bonus features. Spread over 11 discs, this set contains the Official Dub and Subtitled versions, and bonus Classic Dub and Subtitled versions.
You may recognize some of the cover art up above from the oldEvangelionDVD covers. However, it includes some new renderings of Asuka and Rei that were previously only featured on the Japanese LaserDisc releases.
The “merch” it’s referring to there, by the way, consists of eleven double-sided 12-inch-square artboards, a paperweight modeled on Sachiel, the 3rd Angel, and a NERV ID card with a lanyard.
Bonus Classic Dubbed and Subtitled Versions
TheEvangelionTV series, coupled with the filmsEvangelion: Death (True)2andThe End of Evangelion, came to Netflix two years ago. That gave us an opportunity to revisit them andexplore their themes.
In terms of just the viewing experience, some purists were upset that they could not stream the original dubs and subs on Netflix. It sounds like the Ultimate Edition Blu-ray set is here to allay those concerns. Via the press release:
In addition to the Official Dub and Subtitled versions, there is an extra set of discs including the bonus Classic Dub and Subtitled versions for the twenty-six episode series, as well as the films EVANGELION:DEATH (TRUE)2 and THE END OF EVANGELION.
With the way Netflix works, there’s no telling whenEvangelionmight disappear from its streaming library. This set offers fans the chance to own a piece ofEvangelionon physical media.
The announcement of theNeon Genesis Evangelion: Ultimate Edition Blu-ray set directly follows the conclusion of theRebuild of Evangelionfilm tetralogy on Amazon Prime. We just did aspoiler reviewof the finalRebuildmovie,Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Time, this week. If that movie got you in theEvangelionmood again, then you might want to snatch up your copy of the Ultimate Edition set before it’s too late.
Now, if we could just manage to wrangle an iTunes release forEvangelionout of GKIDS, I’d be all set. A guy can dream, can’t he?
