When a series as iconic as Neon Genesis Evangelion gets released on Netflix, you know there was going to be a massive media hype. Neon Genesis Evangelion has never faded from the anime fandom as being one of the best mecha series for having themes that screamed, “this isn’t all about giant robots beating one another.” Fans of the series were happy to have it release in HD, but their joy changed to questioning when some big issues were found almost immediately. The major problem with this re-release of Neon Genesis Evangelion was the fact that the English dub changed completely and from there, numerous problems were found such as redone dialogue and even the removal of Fly Me to The Moon which served as the ending song. With all these issues front and center, we relalized something quite profound. Maybe re-dubbing Neon Genesis Evangelion wasn’t the best move to make…
Script Changes
The beauty of a series like Neon Genesis Evangelion is that it isn’t a simple series about mechs fighting monsters. There was a profound level of mature themes in Neon Genesis Evangelion such as how teens go through various sexual identity crisis and how religion can change the world in a multitude of ways. When Neon Genesis Evangelion was redubbed, the writers changed a big moment between Shinji— Neon Genesis Evangelion’s main male “hero”—and Kaworu. A phrase originally showing how Kaworu loved Shinji became liked in the redub and fans went to Twitter and various social media platforms to raise their anger. Can’t deny that changing a line that deals with sexuality in such a way wasn’t the best move by Netflix and caused a lot of rage in numerous anime communities. Especially the ones who ship Shinji and Kaworu.
That Iconic Ending Song
For those who don’t know, Fly Me to the Moon isn’t a Neon Genesis Evangelion created ending song. Originally created by Frank Sinatra, Fly Me to the Moon was altered but used as the now iconic ending track to Neon Genesis Evangelion. Netflix removed the amazing ending song due to budget concerns and fans wept hearing the new ending song which feels…like nothing. We get budget concerns when redubbing anime but Netflix…maybe you could have not redubbed the series and then afforded to use Fly Me to the Moon. Just a thought, if we’re being honest.
That New Cast…
Let’s not beat around the bush any longer, the new English cast for Neon Genesis Evangelion isn’t exactly loved by the original viewers. The original dub wasn’t perfect—far from it—but each character felt impactful and seemed to fit their suited roles. In this new dub, we have many voice actors who give a strong performance, but just don’t seem to meld with their respect voiced characters. At least you can watch the original Japanese subbed version, but then you go into the problem we mentioned above.
More Reasons to Hate Dub
Even in 2019, English dub is considered weak. While there are some amazing English voice actors—some we’ve even gotten to interview for Honey’s Anime—many anime fans prefer the original Japanese voices for an uncompromised experience. This redub for Neon Genesis Evangelion doesn’t help fans look at English dubs as a good alternative to the original vocal cast. We personally love both subs and dubs for anime, but defending Neon Genesis Evangelion’s new dub isn’t the easiest thing to do.
Final Thoughts
Neon Genesis Evangelion will always be considered one of the best anime series ever and it deserves that love. It was a series that went against the norms we’ve seen in mecha anime and it did it without fear. We feel Netflix didn’t need to redub Neon Genesis Evangelion as it tainted a great legacy and ruined the experience for those who have never seen the original version and for those who have multiple times. Do you agree with us and feel redubbing Neon Genesis Evangelion wasn’t the best move or are you in favor of it? Comment below to let us know and, for more articles like this one, keep stuck to our hive here at Honey’s Anime!
Author: Aaron