Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time

Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time was produced by Studio Khara and released in 2021 as the fourth and final installment of the Rebuild of Evangelion film series. Serving as the conclusion to a narrative arc that began in 2007, the project was led by series creator Hideaki Anno. The film was born out of a desire to provide a definitive closure to the Evangelion franchise, which had occupied a significant portion of Anno's professional life since the original television series debuted in 1995. Development was marked by long delays and the director’s personal struggles with burnout, leading to a highly anticipated theatrical release that aimed to resolve the existential and psychological complexities of the protagonist, Shinji Ikari.

The film's visual identity remains rooted in the distinctive aesthetic established by Studio Khara, blending traditional hand-drawn animation with sophisticated 3D computer graphics to depict the surreal landscapes of the franchise. Under the direction of Anno, the production team sought to balance nostalgic callbacks to the 90s original with a modernized, sweeping scope that reflected the maturity of its creator. Upon its release, the film was critically acclaimed for its emotional resonance and its meta-textual approach to concluding the long-running series, becoming the highest-grossing film of the year in Japan and providing a widely accepted resolution to the complex legacy of the Evangelion saga.