[NEWS] Neon Genesis Evangelion coming to Netflix Spring 2019

[Tumbling Down]

Are they going to produce new subtitles for this, or are they going to license the old subtitles? (Who would even have them now?)

[Guy Nacks]

Speaking as someone who has knowledge in this area, I can almost guarantee that Netflix will not use the original subtitle files from the platinum release because there is no way that those particular subtitles would conform to Netflix's current specs and formats, so they're probably going to be redone from scratch. Plus the original .srt/.vtt/whatever files themselves are so old that I wonder if they even still exist on a server at ADV somewhere.

Most likely, Netflix being Netflix and having money to throw around, will produce new subtitle tracks for all of the languages that the material will be translated into. They probably have commissioned a complete retranslation of the series/films since they're going to be producing new subtitle tracks anyway. That is probably part of the reason why it will not stream for another 4-6 months.

As far as producing a new dub goes....I think it's very unlikely. I don't think there has ever been an old anime property that Netflix streamed that ever had a new dub produced solely for that platform where one already existed.

[Tumbling Down]

Most likely it’s Streaming Only - they most likely can’t call it a Netflix Original and keep it in perpetuity like they did with Little Witch Academia (bought all world rights outside Japan)

If they [i]did do that, we could get Eva merch in American stores. That'd be pretty cool.

[FreakyFilmFan4ever]

As far as producing a new dub goes....I think it's very unlikely. I don't think there has ever been an old anime property that Netflix streamed that ever had a new dub produced solely for that platform where one already existed.

I dunno, man. This is a weird one because I think this is the first time Netflix licensed an anime that fell out of print, so I really don't know how they're gonna navigate through all of this. All of their other anime titles are either in print by other distributors (Fullmetal Alchemist, Gurren Lagann, etc. have US disc releases via Aniplex) or first became available to the US through Netflix itself (Little Witch Academia), so the issue with dubs was either to use a previously existing one from the US dub rights holders or to create a new one from scratch. ADV no longer has the rights to Evangelion, so I don't even know if anyone can legally use their recordings for an Evangelion-related series (or anything, for that matter).

Whenever Funimation picked up a classic title that fell out of print (like Akira), they would create a new dub while going the extra mile to retain the old dub as yet another option. Maybe doing something like that could be how Netflix gets their hands on ADV/Manga's dubs, but I'm not sure of the legal specifics of those cases, nor do I know of Netflix wouldn't opt for a new dub anyway, just like how Funimation did with Akira. I guess we'll find out.

[BlueBasilisk]

I'd think that Netflix could get back as much of the original cast as possible. Even if they're stationed in California, I'm sure all of the Texan actors could arrange satellite recording station with Netflix.

Sean Schemmel does his recording for Dragon Ball Super that way so it's definitely an option.

If they did a whole new dub I feel like they'd probably work with Funimation and use that cast since those are the current voices for the characters and a lot of them seem to work for or with Funimation on a regular basis so they'd be easy to get. Some of Funi's dubs do air on Netflix and it would skirt around any rights issues with ADV and Manga's old dubs.

[DarkBluePhoenix]

As I said in the rebuild thread (because why would I bother to look for a thread in "everything else Evangelion ) I'm excited to see this go up on Netflix, and I don't have to watch the pirated low res copy or BD copy anymore, not that I minded doing dso, but it's exciting that Netflix thinks the series is worth putting cash on to stream for the masses.

New people are going to be flocking to our wiki which is a garbage dump that needs an unimaginable amount of work done. I feel accountable for the state of that place (rightly or wrongly) but I don't know how to fix the problem in a way that doesn't play ball with my neuroses and other dysfunctions.

Well, I know I have to get back in to finish updating the manga pages and expand on what I made for Raising Project, but the pages for the episodes themselves are probably the most well put together things on the wiki.

Well, why not ask people to collaborate...?
Like, make a list of articles in dire need of revision. Someone requests it to fix, then we do some peer-review to fix it and then you can simply add it to the wikia...

This totally makes sense, and would help fix the wiki up in time for the Netflix release.

[Gendo'sPapa]

Y'all setting yourselves up to be disappointed when Netflix - who have much more important things to focus on like creating Original Netflix Owned anime content and knocking out their competition- just drops NGE on their site as the licensing acquisition it is without a new English dub of any kind. Even if NGE does have several million viewers over the course of the next few years it still is .001% of their overall business.

Netflix has been pretty transparent about how they want to be the world's number one go to place for anime - and the number one go to place for sitcoms and documentaries and children's entertainment and dramas and film. They recently moved big into the anime game - might you, even if Netflix became the #1 Anime Streaming site in the world that too would maybe be only 1% of their overall viewership business - and they kicked things off pretty strong this year with letting Masaaki Yuasa go wild with Netflix original Devilman Crybaby. Makes sense to launch 2019 with "The Most Influential Anime of All Time" as this one acquisition has gotten Netflix more play online than everything their anime streaming competitors have done in the last year combined. Having a classic like NGE in your library tells the average viewer - not the "I watch every season as it airs" anime viewer - that Netflix is where you go for anime.

It's all good business on Netflix's behalf and is one of the few arenas they won't directly be competing with Disney+ in. The other anime streaming sites should watch out though cause they're now in Netflix's sights as a competitor to be squashed.

As for a dub? Will they or won't they? I don't care. I don't think they will. They have your money already and you - the average viewer, not an EvaGeek - can't exactly go watch Eva anywhere else unless you pirate it so why would they spend any more on producing it?
Though if they do a Re-Dub I will campaign that they recast Asuka because A) I'm not a fan of Tiffany Grant's performance and B) just so I can laugh at how much chaos it would cause in geek circles.

[SEELE-01]

As I said in the rebuild thread (because why would I bother to look for a thread in "everything else Evangelion ) I'm excited to see this go up on Netflix, and I don't have to watch the pirated low res copy or BD copy anymore, not that I minded doing dso, but it's exciting that Netflix thinks the series is worth putting cash on to stream for the masses.


Well, I know I have to get back in to finish updating the manga pages and expand on what I made for Raising Project, but the pages for the episodes themselves are probably the most well put together things on the wiki.


This totally makes sense, and would help fix the wiki up in time for the Netflix release.

What do you say @Reichu? I'm willing to help you write some stuff

[DarkBluePhoenix]

^ Well, I did start a thread in The Editorium (which someone was kind enough to pin) here Wiki DIY - Pages That Need TLC. Let's make the wiki better together

[FreakyFilmFan4ever]

@GendosPapa, it’s not so much that I want Netflix to do a new dub for Eva, I just don’t want them to use the old dub for EoE. That would be a terrible disaster simply because of its translational inaccuracies. As for the subs, it’s almost guaranteed that we’ll get a new one that’s accurate. (You know, one that doesn’t confuse Adam with Lilith or whatever.)

I mean, you’re right that they probably don’t care as much as we’d like one way or the other. Best possible scenario (my preferred outcome) would just be a new set of subs for everything with no dubs, that way there’s no likelihood for a bad translation.

[BlueBasilisk]

^The most I excpect out of them is the BD transfer with the original Japanese audio and new subtitles. Surely they can't fuck that up. A redub of the series is something I've wanted for a long time just so we'd have a have a consistent voice cast from start to finish and it's one of the reasons I had hoped Funimation would be able to get the rights to the anniversary BD set. That doesn't mean I'm expecting one and I'll likewise accept no English audio at all if it helps keep that old EoE dub buried.

[DarkBluePhoenix]

^ I probably mentioned this in the other thread but it bares repeating. For One Punch Man, Netflix only has Japanese audio with subtitles, no dub is present (at least in the US), so EVA may end up being streamed in the same way

[Joseki]

Licensing existing dubs and subs seems a bit of a logistical pain to me. It's not only the English dub, there's also French, German, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese that are usually part of Netflix's dub offering, so the amount of agreements that have to be made is significant.

Especially because some dubs are really beloved and well made, so opting for a redub would be committing sudoku (the Italian dub for example is one of the most beloved one in the Italian anime community).

And I imagine the companies that own those dubs would try to get something back, either a huge amount of money or something else (maybe home video/theatrical rights if Netflix bought them too?).

Hopefully we'll get more news soon, Spring isn't that far away (unless they go for the "technically spring" mid June release date).

[Sailor Star Dust]

Licensing existing dubs and subs seems a bit of a logistical pain to me. It's not only the English dub, there's also French, German, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese that are usually part of Netflix's dub offering, so the amount of agreements that have to be made is significant.

Hm. In that situation, it honestly sounds like it'd be easier/most "cost effective" to slap on subtitles for each language and leave things at that?

At the risk of repeating myself I really hope the old sub/dub legalities means we'll get a retranslation of something (sub, dub, whatever) at the very least—NGE Platinum's translation was good, but using Manga Entertainment's translation(s) was just a huge mistake in terms of comprehending EoE.

Guy Nacks' thoughts on the matter give me hope, heh.

[Joseki]

Personally I'd prefer they redo what has been done in a improver way in the past and keep what was already excellent.

A lot of need to redo the english version (and while we're it, I don't like the Rebuild english localization either), absolutely no need to touch the italian version one for example.

[Sailor Star Dust]

I have a feeling Netflix would go with equally changing the multiple languages (e.g. They'd all get a batch of freshly-translated subs).

I'm not too happy with how the Funi Rebuild dub does certain things, either (it'd be nice to get some consistency with Khara's work in 3.0 vs Funi alone on 1.0 and 2.0—Also, leave the damn Tel Ops alone and subtitled) but I don't really see that happening except for maybe a potential 4-Film boxset down the line. Assuming Funi cares about that sort of thing

[Gendo'sPapa]

New subs are a given.
New dubs? I repeat, I think y'all setting yourselves up for a disappointment.

As for a Rebuild Boxset? As long as nothing major happens and another distributor doesn't get Final or Funimation crumbles into dust under the current market I think a boxset is a given. It won't be anything fancy or as sexy as the certain-to-be-released Japanese Rebuild boxset - most likely a US release will just be a repacking of the previous releases in a cheap cardboard sleeve with nary a new special feature while Khara will go all out with some alluring, strongly built case and old + new extras galore for the domestic Japanese audience - but it will happen.

[Sailor Star Dust]

New dubs? I repeat, I think y'all setting yourselves up for a disappointment.

Not on Netflix, sure, but I still think this is a super likely scenario in 3-4 (or whenever) many years:

maybe there would be a hold-off on a dub whenever/assuming a Western bluray box eventually happens.

EDIT:

Well, shut my mouth

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[Guy Nacks]

I would actually welcome them recasting everyone if they do a new dub.

[DarkBluePhoenix]

^ Well, that would be interesting to say the least

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Wow, that is a surprise, well, I see some new threads in the future if they do a new English dub comparing the performances and translations.