In a dream collaboration, PC Music’s A. G. Cook has produced the theme song for the highly-anticipated fourth and final instalment of the Rebuild of Evangelion anime series.
“One Last Kiss”, produced by Cook, is the fourth track by Japanese superstar Utada Hikaru to feature in the film franchise. Her song “Beautiful World” appeared in both Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone and Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, while “Sakura Nagashi” was the main theme tune for Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo.
After nine years of delays, Neon Genesis Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time was released in cinemas in Japan on March 8. Despite Japan enforcing 8pm pandemic-related curfews, IMAX recorded sell-outs throughout the day, including at 6am showings.
Competiting for number one slot at the box office, however, is Demon Slayer: Mugen Train. The film, which follows on from the popular Demon Slayer TV series, made headlines last year after becoming Japan’s highest-grossing movie ever, knocking Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away from its two-decade reign at the top.
With 12 consecutive weeks in theaters as the number one film in Japan, Demon Slayer shows no signs of slowing down. But, if there’s any film that stands a chance at taking over the number one slot, it’s Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Written and directed by Hideaki Anno, the cult anime first debuted as a TV show in 1995, before being made into a successful film series. Taking place in the futuristic city of Tokyo-3, the franchise follows teen protagonist Shinji as he’s recruited into a mysterious organisation Nerv to pilot a giant bio-machine named Evangelion into combat against dangerous creatures called Angels.
Touching on themes of existentialism, psychoanalysis, and mental health, the series explores the experiences and emotions of Evangelion pilots and members of Nerv as they try to prevent the Angels from destroying humanity.
Listen to the A. G. Cook-produced theme song below.