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7. The Production of Eva
When Anno thought of Eva, he wanted to create an anime that would surpass "Gundam" and "Yamato." However, he became dissatisfied with his early ideas. The script for the first episode took half a year to complete. He was stuck after that, so he wrote episodes 5 and 6, and then came back to episode 3. He felt he had to go beyond regular TV anime in developing realistic characters in episodes 3 and 4. However, the first six episodes left the staff drained and feeling weighed down by the heavy mood, so he felt it necessary to lighten the feeling of the series for episodes 7, 8, and 9. This early stage of production took 4 or 5 months in total; the storyboards were done in two months. However, the schedule became more and more constrained. The series was only finished thanks to the supreme efforts and talents of the staff. Episode 26 was completed in only three days. Episode 24 was put together almost entirely by Masayuki alone in the space of three weeks.
When Anno thought of Eva, he wanted to create an anime that would surpass "Gundam" and "Yamato." However, he became dissatisfied with his early ideas. The script for the first episode took half a year to complete. He was stuck after that, so he wrote episodes 5 and 6, and then came back to episode 3. He felt he had to go beyond regular TV anime in developing realistic characters in episodes 3 and 4. However, the first six episodes left the staff drained and feeling weighed down by the heavy mood, so he felt it necessary to lighten the feeling of the series for episodes 7, 8, and 9. This early stage of production took 4 or 5 months in total; the storyboards were done in two months. However, the schedule became more and more constrained. The series was only finished thanks to the supreme efforts and talents of the staff. Episode 26 was completed in only three days. Episode 24 was put together almost entirely by Masayuki alone in the space of three weeks.
post/425333/NGE-Ep24-Script-First-and-Second-Drafts/#425333
From the ACAT lyricist:
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“My manager got the job, we had a quick meeting lasting about 30 minutes, skim-read the proposal and watched two episodes on fast-forward. And with that I was told ‘so, yeah, just write whatever you want!’, and finished the song [lyrics] in about two hours. Sorry to burst your bubble, guys!”
https://soranews24.com/2015/01/08/a-cru ... ko-oikawa/
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She also professed that she didn't know much about Neon Genesis Evangelion when she first wrote the song, and she still hasn't watched the series. "It's a finished job, so [I'm] not really [interested]," she said. When she wrote the song, the anime hadn't been finished yet and she only had the proposal and the first two or three minutes to go by. "It wasn't even colored. I wrote the song, and my job was done. I wrote it in about two hours."
https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/intere ... ey/.169084
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——Please tell us about the story behind “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis.” How did the song come about and how were you chosen to sing it?
Well I don’t actually know the specifics of where the song came from. But about 20 years ago I was studying to be a singer in Los Angeles, and after I went back to Japan I was looking for work. So I contacted someone I had met in the music industry to see if they had any jobs available. From them I found out about an audition to sing “Fly Me to the Moon,” the ending theme song of a TV series called Evangelion. After my audition they invited me to try and sing the opening theme, “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis.”
When I recorded the song all I knew was the title, Evangelion. I didn’t know anything about the plot or characters at all. So the first time I saw the anime was the same time as everyone else, when it aired on TV. Seeing the song paired with the opening sequence was really striking. The music and visuals matched perfectly and I remember it giving me goosebumps. At that moment I knew without a doubt that the song would be a hit.
Well I don’t actually know the specifics of where the song came from. But about 20 years ago I was studying to be a singer in Los Angeles, and after I went back to Japan I was looking for work. So I contacted someone I had met in the music industry to see if they had any jobs available. From them I found out about an audition to sing “Fly Me to the Moon,” the ending theme song of a TV series called Evangelion. After my audition they invited me to try and sing the opening theme, “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis.”
When I recorded the song all I knew was the title, Evangelion. I didn’t know anything about the plot or characters at all. So the first time I saw the anime was the same time as everyone else, when it aired on TV. Seeing the song paired with the opening sequence was really striking. The music and visuals matched perfectly and I remember it giving me goosebumps. At that moment I knew without a doubt that the song would be a hit.
https://otakumode.com/news/559c14893869 ... 2015-in-LA
Essential Evangelion Chronicle says production for "the first two episodes" began in September 1994. Taking Anno's "six months" statement into account, could this mean Ep 1 was finished writing around February 1995, and ACAT was recorded... say, in September-November? Problem: Wikipedia now mentions the (unverifiable as the editor doesn't scan or transcribe anything...) VHS set stating the episode was finished production in April 1995.
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We even held a second GAINAX Festival the next year in Itako, Ibaraki, where we screened the first two episodes of Evangelion three months prior to their air date. The opening sequence as well as other elements weren’t quite ready yet, so the screening showed only the raw episodes, but with only 200 people given the opportunity to see the show at such an early stage, I’m sure it was a precious memory for everyone who attended. I remember reactions to the early screener being extremely positive. That night was truly “Evangelion Eve”.
https://www.gwern.net/docs/anime/eva/20 ... rs#the-day
But it also says this second festival took place in July 1995. Perhaps "the raw episodes" as Takeda puts it are "finished", but would still undergo more changes later?
